


The Hunt

by Caeseria



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Identities, Anbu Hatake Kakashi, Assassins & Hitmen, M/M, Masks, Mission Fic, Mystery, Undercover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-06
Updated: 2016-09-06
Packaged: 2018-05-12 03:47:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 143,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5651383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caeseria/pseuds/Caeseria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While working on a delicate mission to protect Konoha, Hunter-nin Iruka has to collaborate with Inu, an ANBU captain he finds both dangerous and intriguing.  For the sake of both Konoha and the mission, Iruka must protect his identity at all costs, even when he’d prefer not to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for an anonymous request on the Kakairu Kink Meme on Livejournal: Hunter-nin Iruka has his sights set on his ANBU counterpart, Kakashi.
> 
> Please note (to avoid confusion!) that the prompt calls for masks and hidden identities, so I've played to that quite a bit. There will be a reveal eventually, but that is not the focus of the story. Thanks for reading!

 

Iruka raced through the trees, feet touching each branch silently, leaving no trace of his passing. His target, Asai Makoto, was just ahead – not visible yet, but running scared and starting to make mistakes. Of course, Iruka thought, Asai had already made a number of them, the first of which was leaving Konoha and going missing-nin. His second mistake was ego; believing that Konoha would not send a team after him. Konoha had not sent a team: they’d sent Iruka instead.

Iruka may have been a chuunin school teacher – a good one at that – but he also had a lot of skills he’d never advertised publically. Only a handful of people knew of his particular skillset, namely the Godaime, and the head of T & I, Morino Ibiki. The ANBU he worked with occasionally only knew him by his codename: Kurohyou, the black panther, captain of the _Oinin Butai_ , the Hunter-nin Corps.

Kurohyou was someone you didn’t want to fuck with, so Konoha gossip said. Iruka often found it inordinately interesting to hear people discussing his alter ego; he’d even thrown in some gossip and misdirection on occasion just for fun. The rumor mill said that Kurohyou wore a black cat mask (correct), carried a long, black-bladed Katana (also correct) and had taken down at least twenty-five missing-nin, some of who were S-ranked criminals (incorrect – _mostly_ – it was twenty-one, and most missing-nin were disaffected genin or chuunin with the occasional jounin thrown in). Gossip also stated Kurohyou was really Hatake Kakashi, or maybe Shiranui Genma, which pissed Iruka off a little if he had to admit it.

Snow began to fall amongst the trees, huge white flakes that would eventually make the branches slick and hard to grip. The light was also fading, turning that peculiar shade of purple-blue that heralds a heavy snowstorm. Iruka decided he needed to engage his enemy soon or risk a drawn out fight in less than ideal conditions. He pulled three kunai from his thigh pouch and quickly attached timed exploding tags to the handles. He began to move to the left, cutting across the path of the chuunin up ahead. When he had Asai in his sights, he let fly with the kunai. One embedded itself in the ground, one in a tree, and the other directly ahead of the chuunin. The three tags exploded, doing exactly what they were supposed to; confuse and disorientate his enemy. The kunai on the ground forced Asai higher into the trees while the explosion behind spurred him in the direction Iruka wanted, directly into the third explosion ahead. The man dropped to the ground and then pushed off, although with a decided limp.

A flicker beside Iruka made him turn sharply to avoid a series of shuriken thrown in his direction, but he felt the deep string of at least one hitting its mark, close to his shoulder blade.   _Careless_ , he thought. He responded with another kunai, which caught the clone directly in the chest. It dissipated in a puff of smoke and Iruka set off after his quarry. Blood spatters on the trees made the chuunin easy to track, which was a godsend since the snow had begun to fall in earnest and Iruka’s vision was somewhat limited by the mask he wore. _Not long now,_ Iruka reckoned. The clone had probably used up a fair amount of the chuunin’s chakra, although it had been a good distraction.

His prey was just ahead, slowing due to blood loss. Iruka moved to the right, almost level with the man. Asai changed direction suddenly, veering left and pushing off a tree. Iruka twisted and kicked out, connecting with the man’s sternum. He used momentum to push away from his target and gathered his chakra, forming seals. Asai looked exhausted and fear burnt in his eyes, finally realizing, perhaps, that he had indeed met his match. Iruka had no time for pity; that was part of his other persona, that of Umino Iruka. _Kurohyou_ was used to this look in his target’s eyes; the moment they realized they had lost – not only their village, but that their life was forfeit. Iruka finished the seals and released his water jutsu. It was made stronger due to the snow; it was easy to pull the water from his surroundings when it fell from the sky, and the water formed bullet-like pellets that sped toward his target. The man’s body vibrated as each pellet struck him and he fell like a rock from the trees, hitting the ground with a sickening crunch. Iruka dropped silently beside him and stood over his prey, watching for signs of movement.

Iruka’s breath came fast beneath his mask. The chase had been long but he relished it all the same; that burn in his lungs, his muscles working to push his body to the extreme, his mind flashing through myriad possibilities and outcomes, the jutsu used to bring his opponent down. He grimaced; knew that if anyone could see his face it would show feral and unnerving. He knew that right now he looked as far from Umino Iruka as was possible while being the same person. The village sensei had no place here amongst the trees and silent death.

Eventually he knelt down and checked for a pulse. Asai was dead, simply a body in the snow now. Iruka began searching through the chuunin’s gear for anything of note that should be returned to Konoha. His fingers slid over something cylindrical; probably a scroll. Carefully, in case it was booby-trapped, Iruka pulled it from Asai’s vest. A quick brush of Iruka’s chakra confirmed it was simply a scroll, not a trap. Iruka breathed a sigh of relief. One of the cardinal rules that Iruka taught in the classroom was never to rush, never to use guesswork. Using your chakra to test if something was a primed trap ready to blow was about the stupidest and most dangerous thing a person could do, however Iruka needed to work quickly. If this scroll was important, he reckoned it was unlikely it was going to explode in his face. Fortunately, his twisted logic had been correct this time. This mission was turning out more complex that he had expected: Asai had not only gone missing-nin, but he had taken valuable intel from the village. Neither this man’s body, with its village secrets and jutsu, nor the scroll, could fall into enemy hands.

Once Iruka was sure he had what he’d come for, he stood up and drew his katana, bringing it down in a sweeping arc across the neck of the chuunin, beheading the body in one neat stroke before sheathing the blade and returning it to its place across his back.

He removed a small pouch from his pack and began sprinkling the body with powder. Then he clasped his hands, said a prayer for the departed, and flashed through six seals in rapid succession. Small droplets of rain fell, mixed amongst the snow, and when the droplets combined with the powder, the corpse began to melt. Iruka watched until the body was obliterated, only the outline left in the snow to show where it had been. That too was easily fixed; and soon nothing was left to show that there had ever been a corpse in this spot – nothing for the enemy to find should they come looking.

Only now, coming down off the adrenaline rush of the fight, Iruka started to feel pain. He plucked a shuriken from his shoulder. The point was embedded in the bone and required some work to get free. Iruka pulled the red bandage from his arm warmers and tied it tightly around his shoulder to stop the blood flow. He’d have to bandage the wound properly later on; right now he needed to get away from the scene of the fight as quickly as possible. He may be a hunter-nin, but he wouldn’t be able to take on a number of highly-ranked ninja by himself should the situation arise. He was too close to Rock, deep in Waterfall territory, and the possibility was high he would run into enemy forces.

Iruka pulled a blank scroll and spread it on the ground. He drew a sigil with some ink, a complicated circle with lines radiating outward, and placed the head of the missing-nin in the center. He bit his thumb, drawing blood, and marked the scroll. The head vanished without trace and Iruka re-rolled the scroll. He’d learnt long ago it was far easier to keep his evidence in a container scroll, rather than lug a trophy across country. Ninja are nothing if not practical but the law dictated Iruka must present evidence to the Hokage of his kill.

He surveyed the scene carefully one last time, checking to make sure no signs were present of what had transpired, and then adjusted his mask.

It was time for Kurohyou to return to Konoha.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It took Iruka seven hours to cross the border of Waterfall back into Fire Country. From here, it was a further three days to Konoha at regular ninja speed, two if he pushed himself at the pace of an ANBU. Now he was back in friendly territory, he could take the time to rest for a while and see to his wounds.

It took him only moments to realize a small group was keeping pace with him; shadowing his flank in a classic ANBU escort formation. He reached out with his chakra carefully; he’d used a lot during the fight and didn’t want to waste it if his trackers weren’t friendly. He heard a bird call, recognized it as a Konoha sign, and relaxed slightly. He dropped from the branches to the ground and waited. All ANBU were twitchy by nature; just because one was dressed as a Konoha hunter-nin didn’t mean that he necessarily _was_. He let his hands drop to his sides, palms upward and waited. A shadow moved to his left, another from his rear on the right. A flicker in his vision just ahead and another appeared; this one tall with silver hair and a dog mask. _Inu_ , Iruka thought. Inu was one of the ANBU’s captains, Iruka’s counterpart.

The silence stretched for a moment until it was almost uncomfortable, and Iruka felt cool, electric chakra brush across his. It was almost a caress and Iruka fought not to move. He’d seen Inu in action, knew that this searching chakra could instantly become deadly and sharp. Still, the brush of chakra was intimate, but not unwelcome. Iruka felt his eyes start to slide close and his breathing tighten a little.

“Kurohyou-san.” Inu’s voice had a deep, languid quality to it. Iruka wondered what his voice would sound like without the ANBU mask on. Would it still have that seductive, whiskey velvet sound to it or would it change cadence?

Iruka felt Inu’s chakra recede and it was like a small loss. He took a deep breath and tried to assume some kind of normalcy. Every time he ran into Inu it seemed to get harder to push away the feelings of want the man stirred in him. Maybe it was the air of danger that surrounded the ANBU. Maybe it was the way he moved with a dangerous, yet lazy attitude. No, Iruka thought, not lazy; more sensuous, languid. He was more suited to wearing the cat mask than that of a dog.

“Stand down,” Inu instructed his team. Iruka felt the tension decrease rapidly, the lessening of killing intent. It was a relief.

He moved toward Inu. “What brings you to the borders of Fire Country?”

“We’re monitoring unusual activity,” Inu replied. He gestured to his team to move closer. “Which is why you’re out here, I assume. A mission?”

Iruka nodded. The nod was enough; neither ANBU nor hunter-nin would press for further information. S-Ranked missions were issued by the Hokage, and would be reported to only the Hokage.

“Is there anything we should know beyond the border that might be relevant?” The female ANBU in the dragon mask asked. Tatsu, Iruka remembered.

Iruka thought hard. “Surprisingly, I saw nothing unusual.”

“That in itself could be noteworthy, Senpai.” Neko, the one with the cat mask, spoke. He was a wood-jutsu user, the only one Iruka knew of.

“Hm.” Inu nodded. “We’ll head toward Kanaabi Bridge next, I think.” He turned back to Iruka. “Do you need supplies?”

“Only time to rest for a while and to tend to my wound.”

“We’ll make camp for the night. Tatsu, can you put up a henge large enough to conceal a fire?”

Tatsu nodded. “You build a fire, I’ll hide it.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka was grateful for the rest – and the warmth of the fire. It was small fire, barely serviceable, but Iruka was finally able to relax. Tatsu was up in the trees, on watch, while Neko crouched a distance away, sorting through food rations. Inu sat near Iruka, watching as Iruka unwound his bandages to examine the wound.

“Shuriken?”

Iruka nodded. “Careless of me. Wasn’t even my target, it was a clone.”

Inu made a small sound and Iruka finally recognized it as laughter. “What?”

“Nothing.” Inu reached into his pouch and pulled out a roll of new bandages. “Do you need help?”

“I can get this.” Iruka cleaned the wound as best he could and applied a numbing salve. “Stitches will have to wait.”

“No.”

Iruka looked up in surprise.

“You can’t wait two days for medical attention. Let me.”

Iruka sighed. “I need to return to Konoha immediately.”

“And a few hours won’t make a difference.”

Iruka stared at the blank dog mask. Inu was impossible to read, which was the point of the ANBU mask. He supposed he was just as unreadable in his black mask. After a few moments of staring, Iruka looked down and began searching through his pack for needle and thread. Maybe Inu was right; even a small chance of infection could be the death of him later. “Fine, let’s get this over with.”

Inu shifted closer to examine the wound, until he was so close his knee almost touched Iruka’s. “Deep wound. The shuriken tore up your skin when it entered.”

“I had noticed,” Iruka drawled.

Inu’s fingers brushed across his hot skin, pressing around the wound. Iruka winced, but with nobody to see beneath the mask his momentary weakness wouldn’t show. Inu’s fingers paused, having picked up Iruka’s body language instead. “This is going to hurt somewhat.”

Iruka bit his lip and let Inu work. The tug of the needle against his skin was a necessary evil, and Iruka tried to push the pain down and focus on watching Inu instead. He bent close to the wound, exposing a long, cloth-covered neck to Iruka’s view. He wore another mask under the ANBU mask, like Iruka did. Iruka wore the secondary mask to cover the scar over his nose, which was a sure sign of identification should his panther mask get knocked off in a fight. He wondered what Inu was also hiding; a scar, or maybe a birthmark? Inu’s proximity was also unnerving. Every little touch of Inu’s fingers did pleasant things to his body, even through the pain, and Iruka had to wonder if the pain heightened the pleasure, and if he was just maybe a little bit of a masochist.

“There,” Inu tied off the final thread and began wrap a bandage around Iruka’s shoulder. He finished quickly and smoothed the bandage flat with his fingers. He looked up, meeting Iruka’s gaze through the mask. It was like an electric jolt, Iruka thought, making eye contact. Not just staring at a mask, but connecting, seeing someone’s soul through the mask. Inu froze and Iruka thought he heard Inu take a sharp breath. His fingers brushed carefully across Iruka’s skin again and in a voice laced with amusement said, “I hear even feral kitty cats like to be stroked.”

Iruka froze, shock and a hard jolt of lust pooling in his belly at the innuendo. Iruka paused and then replied, “That’s funny; I also heard dogs come when their owners call.”

Inu leaned back and laughed, the tension between them dissipating for the moment. “Maa, Kurohyou-san, I think you win this round, although that sharp tongue of yours might get you in trouble one day.”

Iruka grinned behind the mask and got to his feet, rolling his shoulder to test his movement. Neko was staring at them from a distance, ration pack in hand. His whole body radiated surprise, which was in itself amusing.   “Inu-san, I think I broke your ANBU.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka tossed restlessly that night. The dull ache in his shoulder wouldn’t let him sleep properly. It was irritating that such a small wound was able to cause discomfort enough that he couldn’t sleep. Or was it something else? Iruka seemed to be hyper aware of where Inu was at all times, a dangerous yearning. It wasn’t good to become attached, as Iruka well knew. He needed to nip this infatuation in the bud before it started to develop. How often did he even see Inu? He had no idea who he really was, had only the mask and uniform to go by, and that ridiculous silver hair. Inu was an ANBU captain, Iruka was a teacher and a sometime hunter-nin. Both of them hiding their identities for the good of the village. Both of them trained to kill, neither with the time for a relationship.

_Doesn’t have to be a relationship_ , a traitorous voice in Iruka’s head said. _Sometimes the body just needs a good fucking. Get rid of the stress._

Speaking of stress… Iruka shifted in his blankets. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad idea. Iruka carefully checked the area. Neko was on watch: he’d heard him leave over an hour ago. Tatsu was sleeping on the other side of the banked fire, and Inu… was nowhere in sight. Iruka paused. Where was he? Bathroom break maybe? Iruka sat up quietly and pushed his blanket to the side, climbing to his feet. Tatsu didn’t move, so Iruka moved quietly to the trees, jumping into the branches. “Kurohyou-san?” Neko’s voice was close by, but Iruka couldn’t see him in the dark.

“Yes. Just going for a break.” He got no response, so had to assume his answer satisfied Neko. Iruka moved silently and then dropped to the ground when he deemed himself far enough away from camp for privacy. The need for release burned at him, made his breath come short just from thinking about his own hand on his cock. His pants were painfully tight now; it wouldn’t take long to get off. When he was home he could take his time, think about Inu, maybe his mouth around Iruka’s cock.

The sound of a twig breaking bought Iruka to a halt, adrenaline pumping and his senses on full alert. He slid a kunai from his thigh pouch and walked forward slowly. Was it an attacker? An animal moving through the brush?

What greeted him was _not_ what he was expecting. Iruka froze, kunai in hand. In the shadows, another shadow. Broad muscled back to Iruka, silver hair dulled to steel in the dark, Inu rested one hand against the tree, his head thrown back, the other hand stroking his cock rapidly.

Iruka felt the blood rush from his body straight to his already hard, aching erection. He must have made a noise, an intake of breath maybe, because Inu turned his head to the side. His hand slowed on his cock, still stroking, but maybe gauging Iruka’s reaction. “Kurohyou,” Inu breathed.

Iruka was rooted to the spot. Slowly, his sheathed his kunai, attention fully fixed on Inu now. He watched as the ANBU turned until his back was pressed against the truck of the tree, exposing himself fully to Iruka. Inu’s hand continued to move slowly over his own cock and Iruka realized Inu was putting on a show now, just for his benefit. Stroking himself, pushing his hips forward into his fist. Iruka’s dick throbbed in his pants, the dull ache ramping up to a tight need that screamed to be released. He pressed his hand to his erection, trying to release some of the need, flirting with the idea of unzipping his pants and jacking off in time with Inu.

Inu’s hand began to move faster, responding to Iruka’s movement, and Iruka could now hear Inu’s breath, hitching on every stroke. He watched as Inu twisted his hand on the upstroke, his other hand caressing his balls. Inu released a small sigh, breathed Iruka’s codename again. He was close, Iruka could see that. But, Inu was waiting for something even as his hand continued to move over his cock. Iruka could see the fine tremors in Inu’s body, his body tense with the need to come, his hips stuttering with every stroke of his hand.

_That’s funny; I also heard dogs come when their owners call._

Inu was waiting, Iruka realized. Waiting for Iruka to _tell_ him he could come.

“Inu,” Iruka said with a shaky voice, hoarse with desire. “Come for me, Inu.”

Inu’s reaction was immediate. He stroked his cock once, twice and then with a gasp he came, his seed spilling over the black glove he wore. His hips jerked but Inu continued to stroke himself through orgasm, his gaze locked to Iruka’s even through the mask. Iruka continued to watch, the burn of desire coursing through his body, unable to physically move. If a Sound shinobi had snuck up behind him at this point, he’d be dead, he reckoned. Because not even death would convince Iruka to look away from the beautiful, but wrecked vision of Inu in the last throws of orgasm.

With a final shuddering breath, Inu went slack, the tree taking his full weight. Neither broke from the gaze, the only sound in the clearing Inu’s labored breathing as he fought to get it under control.

The moments stretched and then Inu moved. One second he was by the tree; the next he was in front of Iruka. Iruka moved on instinct, his kunai at Inu’s throat even as Inu materialized. Despite the kunai, Inu pressed forward, sliding a muscled thigh between Iruka’s and pressing upward gently. Iruka’s breath hitched at the pressure on his aching erection and his hand wavered on the kunai. Inu laughed; a deep, velvet laugh laced with desire. Iruka realized Inu was still hard; that if Iruka wanted, the game was only just beginning.

“Next time we meet,” Inu whispered, one hand sliding over Iruka’s cloth-covered erection, “I want you to fuck me, Kurohyou-san.”

“Ngh.” Iruka didn’t trust himself to actually speak. The image was all too much without trying to form words. Inu’s fingers fumbled for the catch on Iruka’s pants, slipped his glove-covered hand inside, and squeezed.

Iruka jerked into Inu’s fist. His gloved hand slipped on the kunai and he made to move. “Don’t,” Inu said. “It’s kind of hot, isn’t it? Me jerking you off at knife point?”

Iruka tried to keep his eyes open. Inu’s eyes beneath the mask were bright with excitement and lust, and he leaned forward, ignoring the bite of the kunai against his skin, until his breath slid over Iruka’s ear. “Do you want to come like this, Kurohyou-san?”

Inu’s words and his hand on Iruka’s cock were a deadly combination. Iruka gasped as his orgasm ripped through him; he felt his cock pulse in Inu’s firm grip. The only thing keeping him upright at the moment was Inu’s thigh between his.

It seemed minutes passed before Inu released him and stepped backward. Iruka released the kunai, let it drop to the floor. His breathing was still racing, but Inu seemed more collected now, although his languid movements spoke of the aftereffects of release. “Remember: next time, Kurohyou-san,” Inu said, before forming seals and flickering out.

“Dammit,” Iruka finally managed to say, although there was no one to hear him. “Damn.” He tucked himself back into his pants and retrieved the kunai, letting his head fall back against the tree trunk.

Next time couldn’t come soon enough.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka returned to Konoha for debriefing thirty-six hours later, and went straight to T & I after checking in with the gate guards, Izumo and Kotetsu. Morino Ibiki was in, so Iruka headed to his office and knocked.

“Come!” Ibiki barked through the closed door. Iruka paused; _come_ was not a word he wanted to hear at the moment. The journey back had been bad enough as it was, Iruka’s concentration veering dangerously off course every time he thought about Inu jacking off. Iruka pushed those thoughts to one side and entered the office, standing at attention until Ibiki had finished writing.

“Kurohyou,” Ibiki said. It was not so much an acknowledgement, but an invitation to report on the mission.

“The target, Asai Makoto, has been dealt with as instructed,” Iruka said. He pulled the scroll from his pouch and laid it on the desk. Both men started at it; aware of the proof it contained, neither willing to speak the password to open the scroll. Not yet, at least. “I engaged the target near the border of Waterfall and Rock. No trace of the body remains, and Konoha’s secrets are intact. I did, however, also find this scroll on the body.” Iruka slid the other scroll toward Ibiki.

“What does it contain?”

“A list of forbidden jutsu originating in Fire Country, most of which are probably archived here in Konoha.”

“You seem awfully familiar with these forbidden jutsu, Kurohyou.” Ibiki raised an eyebrow.

“One of them belongs to my family, which is why I recognize it. It was archived by the Sandaime, before the Kyuubi attack. It was deemed too dangerous to use by my father.”

“I see.” Ibiki paused and Iruka could almost see the gears churning in Ibiki’s head. “You think Asai wasn’t just going missing-nin; you think he planned to meet up with someone and this scroll was his meal ticket.”

Iruka nodded. “It would seem likely, although I saw no sign of anyone else in the immediate area.”

“Good work, shinobi. Thank you for the hard work.”

Iruka recognized a dismissal when he heard one. He left Ibiki’s office and paused in the corridor, then formed a seal and vanished from sight, reappearing in his living room. He pulled off the mask, and checked the entrances and exits for signs of disturbance. Finding none, he strode to his bedroom and pulled down the cloth mask that covered his face, breathing freely for the first time in days. The feel of cool air on his skin was very welcome after the suffocating press of the mask. Next, Iruka removed his weapons packs and the red bandages that covered his thigh and biceps, then the basic ANBU uniform he wore, stripping down until he was naked.

Showering was the best thing after a mission; not only was he washing away the blood and grime, he was washing Kurohyou away, releasing that side of himself until he was called upon again. Now, clean and dry, Iruka was free to be himself for the first time in over a week. And what was Umino Iruka going to do with his free time? _Damn well sleep_ , Iruka thought, sliding under the covers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 


	2. Chapter 2

Iruka spent the next couple of weeks falling back into his regular routine. The Academy was on a short break, so Iruka was passing the time sitting outside of Yuuma’s, enjoying the autumn sunshine and sipping tea. He was also ninja-watching. Truth be told, Iruka had been ninja-watching since his return from the Asai mission. It wasn’t so much that he was observing everyone; he was looking for one ninja in particular. Alter egos had never bothered Iruka so much as they did now. All ninja were, by nature, secretive and he was sure there were many that doubled up on duties like he did. But not knowing who Inu was had started to eat away at him, even though he knew very well that secret identities were there for a reason; to protect the ninja who wore them and also their families and friends. There was no better way to come at your opponent than through the people they loved.

Iruka knew this, but still, he couldn’t help it if his eyes rested longer than they should on anyone with silver hair. It didn’t help that Konoha had its fair share of them. If Iruka was going to find out who Inu was, he was going to have to try harder. Just sitting in a random sidewalk café wasn’t going to get him very far. He wondered if Inu was doing the same thing, or if he was out on a mission. There seemed to be a lot of missions being handed out these days and, with knowledge born of long experience, Iruka could feel the undercurrent of something big brewing. As a hunter-nin, Iruka could often go months between missions, but recently, he’d been called for duty regularly. At first it was one here, one there, but Asai Makoto had been different; he’d clearly had an objective in mind when Iruka had caught up with him. Every village had disillusioned ninja; either those who couldn’t hack the lifestyle or those who’d simply had enough. Not many defected with a scroll containing a list of forbidden jutsu though. Iruka wondered what Ibiki had done with that information.

Iruka’s attention was drawn away from his thoughts when he caught a flash of silver in the crowd. His body tensed and then he forced himself to consciously relax; it was Hatake Kakashi. The man had been stopped in the street by Shiranui Genma. Whatever they were talking about, it looked serious. Iruka sipped his tea, let his gaze drift by the pair in the street and then back again. Sure, Hatake had silver hair, but Iruka had no doubts this wasn’t Inu. He held himself differently for a start, always slouching, eyes fixed to that damn book he was always reading. Never mind that he usually had Naruto bouncing around him demanding attention, or food – or at least he had, before Naruto had gone off with Jiraiya.

Hatake’s eyes slid across Iruka and paused and Iruka felt himself blush, caught in the most un-ninja-like sport of staring. He and Hatake had literally never seen eye-to-eye; Iruka could count the number of times they’d interacted on one hand, and most of that in the mission room. The only other outstanding time Iruka would prefer to forget was right before the chuunin exams, where Iruka had crossed Hatake publically in front of most of the jounin of Konoha. Ironically, that outburst was what had gotten him noticed by Ibiki and on the road to becoming a hunter-nin.

But no, Iruka was convinced Inu was not Hatake Kakashi. He slipped a couple of coins on the table to pay for his tea, stood up and with a nod at Kakashi and Genma, took his leave. Better to acknowledge he’d been caught staring than to try to explain why. A ninja knows when to withdraw, after all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka’s usual sparring partners, Izumo and Kotetsu, were out on a mission, so Iruka found himself at the ANBU training fields, beating the crap out of a couple of wooden posts instead. He’d been tense for the past few weeks, time passing slowly, so it had seemed like a good idea to come out here and work off steam rather than take it out on his academy students.

He’d shed his panther mask, leaving the cloth mask on instead, and wore just loose training pants and the ANBU shirt to cover his scar on his back. That, along with the scar across his nose, would make him instantly recognizable to most of the village-something to be avoided at all costs.

The ground was littered with kunai and there were a number of new craters from exploding tags, but Iruka was nowhere near done. Being the weekend, he could afford to work himself into exhaustion, hoping to switch his mind off the ever mysterious Inu.

“Maa, I haven’t seen you here before, Kurohyou-san.”

That seductive voice, which Iruka had been hearing in dreams for weeks, was like a shock of cold water on his system. He twisted, delivered a chakra-laced roundhouse kick to the person behind him and let fly with a couple of senbon.

Inu jumped backward, pulled a kunai and deflected the senbon with ease. Panting, Iruka slowly stood from his defensive pose when it appeared Inu wasn’t going to come at him. _More’s the pity_ , Iruka thought.

Inu sheathed his kunai and walked over to the wooden posts, keeping an eye on Iruka. He leaned against the post and crossed his arms, cocking his head to one side. Iruka’s eyes slid over Inu’s lean frame, taking in the muscles across his broad shoulders, the gloves that highlighted his biceps and his slender hips.

_Bastard_ , Iruka thought. _He’s leaning against that post on purpose, just to remind me of that night on the mission when I caught him jerking off to my name against that tree_.

“Inu-san.” Iruka bowed, not taking his eyes of that infuriating mask, trying to get a read on Inu’s mood.

“You look good out of the mask,” Inu said, pushing off the post, clearly having made his point. “How’s the wound on your shoulder?”

“Healed, thank you.” Iruka stooped to pick up a couple of kunai from the field and threw them in the pile nearby. The truth was, out of a mission context, Iruka had no idea what to say to Inu. Of course, _let me bend you over the nearest flat surface so I can fuck your ass nice and hard like you deserve_ wasn’t really a polite way to start a conversation. Still, it did have its merits.

“Shall we spar?” Inu asked, walking towards Iruka. His whole body language changed, went from sensual and languid to deadly intent, focused on Iruka, and Iruka reckoned even if he’d declined he’d still have a fight on his hands. Iruka had just enough time to nod agreement before Inu came at him. Inu’s taijutsu was superb, better than Iruka’s by far judging by the way he threw the first volley of punches. Iruka ducked and came up swinging, cursing when Inu moved swiftly to the side, trying to put him off balance.

Inu laughed and delivered a kick, which Iruka avoided by moving out of range. “I had no idea you cursed so much, Kurohyou.”

“Only when people piss me off,” Iruka replied. Inu aimed another punch and Iruka danced back out of the way, leaning back to avoid Inu’s fist. Iruka knew he was in trouble; there was no way he was going to win a taijutsu fight against a fresh opponent, not when he’d been sparring by himself for a couple of hours already. Using jutsu would be unsportsmanlike, considering they were supposed to be fighting hand to hand, and –

“ _Suiun Suishi no Jutsu_!”

_Shit_! Iruka hadn’t realized that Inu was also a water jutsu user, or that he wasn’t above cheating. A thin column of water shot up from the lake near training ground three, and Iruka watched in stunned surprise as Inu directed it straight for him. Iruka backflipped into the air to avoid it, flashing through seals to create a similar water wave. Both collided in mid-air, drenching the entire training ground and both of them at the same time. Iruka landed on the water, using chakra to keep himself on the surface until the waves dissipated. He shook his head, mainly to clear his vision and get his hair off of his face. Inu looked similarly drowned, his silver hair stuck to his mask.

Iruka wasted no time, running across the rapidly draining water, connecting with Inu in a flurry of fists and feet, water and mud splashing around them. Inu surged forward, meeting Iruka head-on with a laugh, and caught Iruka’s ankle with a well-timed kick. It had hardly any force behind it; Inu was not out to kill him after all, but Iruka lost balance, sliding in the mud. A firm grip on Iruka’s wrist and Inu twisted, using his knee to push at Iruka’s. Iruka felt his leg slide out from under him and then he was on his back, in the mud, with Inu above him. Iruka made to push up, but Inu had his hands around Iruka’s wrists, pushing back down, his weight firmly grounded over Iruka’s hips.

Stalemate, then. Iruka gave in to the inevitable and relaxed beneath Inu, rolling his hips. He was sure Inu could see the outline of his grin through the cloth mask, and Iruka could definitely feel Inu’s hard-on. He wiggled a little just for effect.

“Stop that,” Inu said breathlessly, leaning down until his mask was just centimeters from Iruka’s cloth covered lips.

“You cheated. I thought we were sparring, not using jutsu.”

Inu shifted, pressing down. He groaned when he felt Iruka’s erection against his. “We’re shinobi,” Inu said. “We cheat all the time. Besides, I wanted to see what you looked like wet.”

“Bastard.” Iruka lay there, exhausted. It seemed he’d finally wore himself out, although he still had one large problem, namely the one grinding his hips provocatively against Iruka’s.

Inu released one of Iruka’s wrists and let his palm trail down Iruka’s sensitive side. Iruka tensed, knowing he was ticklish but not wanting to let on. Inu had other plans though, his fingers tracing delicately down past Iruka’s waist to the band of his pants, stroking across the skin in the hollow of Iruka’s hip.

“So this is where the _Oinin Butai_ mark their soldiers,” Inu mused. His voice had lowered again, rough and sexy and just the way Iruka liked it.

“What?” Iruka’s brain had started to derail with lust and he was far from thinking coherently.

Inu’s thumb stroked over the hollow of Iruka’s hip again. “The Hunter-nin Corps. They tattoo you here and not on the arm like the ANBU.”

Iruka tried not to move under Inu’s sensual exploration. “Hunter-nin aren’t in the habit of advertising themselves. It would compromise our everyday lives.”

Inu nodded, stroking thoughtfully over the tattoo. Iruka felt a tingling in the tattoo, which then started to turn into a sharp burn. Inu moved his hand away and watched as the mud-streaked mark glowed red. “You’re being summoned?”

Iruka nodded.

“So am I. Must be something important.”

Iruka made to move, but Inu kept him firmly pinned. “Seems like we’ll have to finish this later, Kurohyou-san.” His fingers moved across the waistband of Iruka’s pants, and then he gave Iruka’s erection a rough stroke with the flat of his hand. A small moan escaped Iruka before he could stop it, and Inu let out a low, seductive laugh before standing up and pulling Iruka to his feet.

Inu stared at Iruka for a moment, as if he was going to say something, and then he formed hand seals and vanished.

_Great_ , Iruka thought. _I’m covered in mud, I have another fucking hard-on, and now I have to report to my superiors. It really can’t get any worse_.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Things could get _much_ worse, apparently.

Iruka was standing in the basement of T & I. He’d showered off the mud and had dressed in a clean uniform. Iruka’s hair was still wet, and the damp ends kept brushing against his bare shoulders, but this was a minor distraction compared to what he was looking at through the two-way mirror in front of him. A man sat hunched over the metal table, a single bloody bruise on his forehead. He was cradling one arm and panting softly, but other than made no movement. Whatever Ibiki and his team had subjected the man to, it didn’t show visibly.

“He won’t tell us his name, despite going through hours of questioning,” Ibiki was saying. “My best interrogator has only been able to pull his rank and shinobi serial number from him, and his village, Iwa.”

“Standard shinobi operating procedure under torture,” Iruka agreed.   “Rank, number, village.”

“I prefer to use ‘interrogation’,” Ibiki replied, lacing his hands behind his back. “Torture sounds so messy.”

Iruka decided not to point out the obvious; that T & I was _Torture_ and Investigation. “I take it you cross-checked his serial number against the bingo books?”

“Of course.” Ibiki began pacing again. “And it came up blank. Rock has very little to show in the Bingo Books. They very rarely cross their own borders, so one has to question what this man was doing in Otufuku Gai.”

“Visiting an onsen?”

Ibiki snorted. “Hardly. He was apprehended at first by the town police for acting suspiciously, and when they checked his room, two forbidden scrolls were found in a secret hiding place.”

Iruka was starting to have a bad feeling about this. “Forbidden scrolls?”

“Two scrolls, both of which were on the list you bought back that had been obtained by Asai Makoto. Upon further investigation, those scrolls were missing from the Forbidden Jutsu Library here in Konoha.”

Iruka frowned. He turned away from the Rock nin and fixed his full attention on Ibiki.

“So now I have a number of new problems,” Ibiki continued. “One –“ he held up one finger, “is the question of why a Rock nin would have these scrolls. Two – “ he held up another finger, “There is clearly a duplicate of the list Makoto had, which has possibly been circulated to a number of people or villages. Three, what does this interested party want with these scrolls, and more importantly,” he held up a forth finger, “we obviously have someone from inside Konoha stealing these scrolls from under _my_ nose and passing sensitive intel to the enemy.”

“What Ibiki is trying to say is that he is currently very vexed.”

Iruka spun around toward the door. “Inu-san.”

Inu nodded at Iruka but fortunately made no move to acknowledge their previous meeting. “Kurohyou-san, Ibiki-san. You sent for me.”

Ibiki looked from Inu to Iruka and back again, frowning. He seemed to come to some silent decision and said, “I sent for you, Inu, at the same time I sent for Kurohyou. You’re late.”

Inu shrugged. “I got waylaid by a feral cat. I stopped to stroke him.”

Iruka was glad for the mask. He felt his face flame what was probably a deep red; he could feel his cheeks heat against the panther mask. Somehow he managed to keep his muscles from tensing, to keep the same posture he’d had before Inu had walked through the door. He was certain Inu was baiting him now; this constant push and pull of desire, attack and retreat every time they met. Which was a lot more than usual, Iruka mused. It was as if Inu was purposely putting himself in Iruka’s path.

“Be careful,” Ibiki warned with a poker face. “Cats bite. They’ll let you pet them and then they’re just as likely to try to chew your hand off.”

Iruka snorted humorlessly from behind the mask.

“Something to add, Kurohyou?”

“No, Ibiki-san.” Iruka was going to _murder_ Inu once they were alone. He hated looking unprofessional, and Inu was pressing all of his buttons, hard. “Please continue with what you were saying.”

“Kurohyou, I want you to go to Otufuku Gai and see if you can pick up our Rock ninja’s trail. Follow it to where he came from. This is a search and destroy mission. You will dispatch any and all evidence, along with any interested parties who may have had access to Konoha’s secrets.” Ibiki paused and turned to Inu. “Inu, you and your team will accompany Kurohyou and offer any assistance required. I do not need to spell out the danger involved, I hope?”

“No, Ibiki-san.” Inu’s voice was hard, a sharp edge compared to earlier on the training fields. All evidence of playful banter was gone and Iruka could easily see why Inu had garnered his reputation as a warrior to be feared amongst his enemies. Inu radiated clear, killing intent. There was a scrape of metal from the interrogation room and when Iruka looked, the Rock ninja was staring at the two-way mirror, eyes wild with fear and loathing.

“Maybe I should have brought you in earlier,” Ibiki mused. “Our Rock nin might have shit his pants but at least we would have gotten the information quicker. Dismissed!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka and Inu’s team slipped through the gates of Konoha at dusk, veered right at the outlying security waystation, and vanished into the trees. Otufuku Gai was approximately 25 miles east of Konoha, a matter of a few hours’ journey at the speeds they were travelling. There was a crisp chill to the air, a harbinger of winter’s frosty arrival. Iruka hoped Ibiki’s mission wasn’t going to take them too far north. ANBU gear wasn’t exactly known for being warm.

They reached the gates of Otufuku Gai just as the moon rose. It was only a quarter full, but shed enough light for the team to do their work. They slipped through the back streets, moving shadow amongst shadow, staying out of sight. In the distance, Iruka could hear the sound of street musicians playing, and it seemed that Otufuku Gai, while a sleepy onsen town in the day, turned into a party spot in the evenings.

“This is it.” Neko’s deep baritone voice spoke from the shadows. “The Crooked Willow Inn. The local police gave the Rock shinobi’s address as room 207.”

At Inu’s signal, Tatsu scaled the wall of the inn, inched across to a window and appeared to be waiting for any signs of movement from inside. After a few moments she slipped a kunai from a pouch and jammed the point against the window frame. With a twist the window opened, and she slipped inside. A simple break and enter; any shinobi could have done it with their eyes closed. Two, maybe three minutes passed, during which time Iruka firmly refused to look at Inu, and then a window opened half way down the length of the building. The shrill call of a bird, and the team began to move, flitting from one shadow to the next, slipping through the window into the room. Iruka moved to the door and locked it as a precaution. If they were disturbed, it would buy them valuable seconds.

“We need to search this room thoroughly,” Inu whispered. “From now on, shinobi hand signs only. I want no trace evident of us being here, and that means no talking.”

Iruka watched as Inu and his team set to work, methodically and thoroughly. He kept lookout by the window, and tried to put himself in the Rock nin’s place. He was a hunter-nin after all; an expert tracker. This should be easy. Shinobi, by nature, were careful, so Iruka would have to take that into account. Also the height and weight of the man, what he wore, his habits. The rock-nin had fallen into a false sense of security, assuming that the local authorities wouldn’t notice one more ninja among many. He must have slipped up somehow, given himself away.

Neko had pulled the man’s clothes from the small cabinet in the corner. Konoha uniform, but old fashioned, Iruka noticed. It was clearly a decade out of date, not overly noticeable, unless you were from Konoha. It had probably been stolen. Forehead protector. That was correct. Neko made a gesture, two fingers drawn across his forearm; Konoha code for ‘nothing’.

Tatsu had searched under the futon, gone through the bedding. No loose floorboards, apart from the one which had already been found, that had held the two scrolls. _Think Iruka. What would you do, if you were a shinobi in a foreign country, unsure if you could blend in successfully? What would give you away, what might you have to conceal?_

_Shoes_. Iruka looked at Inu and made a sign, pointing at his feet. Different countries; different terrain. Different requirements for footwear. A person gets attached to his shoes; especially if they are comfy and broken in. Earth Country would have different camouflage; a Rock ninja’s shoes would stand out here in Fire Country, as would the tread pattern. And how do you make sure you don’t leave a visible trail for the enemy to follow? You take to high ground. You use the rooftops.

 Iruka pointed upward and Inu nodded, turning to Neko and Tatsu, making the sign to move out. Iruka checked the window; once clear he made a circular gesture and slipped through it jumping swiftly to the tiled roof above. It had rained two nights ago, but not since. There would be a good chance that, if the man had been moving about, there would be a trail to follow. It took Iruka a matter of minutes to find the first print and begin moving across the roof tops. As a rule, Iruka preferred to be following his target, guessing where he was going next. Working backward from a target’s last known position, guessing where he’d been before that, not so ideal. Time passes, traces are obliterated, plants grow. The markers grow fainter the further back in time you attempt to read. Eventually you are left to guesswork.

 Fortunately for Iruka, the inn was near the town wall. Now that he’d picked up the trail, had started to read the Rock nin’s mannerisms and habits, it was clear he’d picked this inn for that reason; it would be easy to slip over the wall, into the surrounding forest and to any rendezvous he might have set up with his contacts.

Inu and his team were just behind Iruka, waiting for him to make a move. Iruka nodded to Inu, fed chakra into his feet and leapt over the gap between the roof and the wall, landing neatly on the top. He balanced carefully, not wanting to disturb the tiles, and searched. There, in the faint moonlight, another print. Another after it, then a part print. Iruka dropped over the wall and landed silently, searching the ground. A few broken blades of grass, bruised, and then another print on the path used by the local livestock on the way to the river. The print was as unique as a fingerprint for those who could read it, left by a well-built man, maybe weighing no more than 150 pounds. Made by a shoe used to gripping rock and dirt, not for someone used to moving through grass, or gripping the branches of a tree. A man rather like the ninja in custody. Iruka crept forward, fingers brushing across the dirt, searching. There: a foot or so further on, more crushed grass. Iruka paused and whistled, heard the faint sound of three people dropping to the ground behind him.

“Anything?”

Inu’s deep voice sent a slight tremor through Iruka and he pushed that to the side. He needed to focus. “There, moving back toward the forest. Possibly heading north-west.”

They moved silently over the ground – the Rock nin clearly hadn’t liked the idea of moving through the tree canopy like the Konoha ninja did. Iruka followed the clear trail of broken branches and bruised leaves left by the shinobi, a man unused to travelling through deep forest. Either that or he was careless, which was death for a ninja.

Towards dawn, Inu called a halt. “We’ll rest for a few hours.”

Iruka nodded. “If the Rock nin came from an assignation, it won’t be far from here. If it was me, I’d want to keep my meetings far enough away from civilization, but not too far that it would take time to travel. We should stay on alert.”

“Agreed.” Inu’s team took to the tree canopy and Iruka took a moment to obliterate any signs of their passing before he too leapt into the trees.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka spent the next couple of hours trying to sleep. In the way of all ninja, half of Iruka’s mind was resting along with his body, the other half was monitoring his environment; not enough to be awake, but enough to take notice should something seem out of place.

So, when he felt the branch he was on bend just so, Iruka was instantly alert and on his feet, kunai in hand.

He was greeted with a sigh from behind the now familiar dog mask. “Maa, Kurohyou-san, you do seem to be in the habit of pulling kunai on me. Do I put you on edge?”

“Jackass,” Iruka responded, pocketing the kunai. “We’re in the middle of a mission, and you are trying to sneak up on me. What the hell else did you think I was going to do?”

Inu shrugged. “Maybe throw me up against a tree? Have your wicked way with me?”

Iruka glared from behind the mask. “Maybe later. Was there something you actually needed or can I go back to sleep?”

“I didn’t realize you got cranky first thing in the morning. I’ll have to remember that.” Inu crouched down on the branch and invited Iruka to do the same. He leaned in close, probably so their voices wouldn’t carry, Iruka assumed. “We have to assume that at some point in the near future we are going to run into our Rock nin’s contacts,” Inu began. “I want a firm plan in place before we do so, minimalizing any team casualties.” Inu held up a hand when Iruka began to speak. “Let me be clear, Kurohyou-san, I’m well aware of your skill set and your abilities. You are, however, used to working alone. My team will provide backup as required. We will follow any direction you choose to give, working within that role.”

“And if shit hits the fan?” Iruka asked.

“You do what you were sent to do – destroy all and any evidence. We will act as containment and mop up, which is what we do best.”

“Agreed.”

Inu leaned forward, until Iruka could feel his breath on his cloth-covered neck. “Don’t get yourself killed, Kurohyou. You owe me something before this is over.”

“And what might that be?” Iruka didn’t pull away. Inu was so close he could almost feel the man’s body heat in the chill dawn.

Inu chuckled, soft and sensuous, sending chills up Iruka’s spine. “I think you are far too intelligent for me to have to spell that out for you.” Inu rose to his feet in one fluid movement, standing over Iruka. Iruka looked upward. “Although I rather think I like you in that position,” Inu added in an amused tone, before moving to the next tree.

“Jackass,” Iruka repeated in a near whisper.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The team was ready to move out as the sun cleared the tree canopy. Breakfast was cold ration bars, water instead of Iruka’s usual morning tea. The lack of caffeine was enough to put Iruka on edge; never a good thing. Inu ran quickly through the plan with the rest of the team, while Iruka adjusted his equipment pouches and checked that everything was in order. Once everyone was set, Iruka dropped silently from the branches to the ground and picked up the trail again, Inu’s team following in formation. This was what Iruka lived for; the silent chase, the thrill of the hunt, the calm before the kill.

Iruka lifted his hand and the team slowed, slipping into cover. Iruka glanced at Inu, placing Neko one tree over, Tatsu to the left. Every member had eye contact with the other and Iruka waited silently. Slowly he drew his black blade from the sheath on his back, hefted the handle, testing the balance, dropping the weapon to his side so it became an extension of his arm rather than a separate entity. The target, a cabin just ahead, seemed deserted, but Iruka knew from long experience that appearances can be deceiving. He signaled to Inu, and Neko and Tatsu moved, lost to sight as they circled the clearing, covering all entrances and exits.

Swiftly Iruka moved to the door, crouching low to avoid been seen in the windows. He counted to five; gave the team enough time to get into place and then kicked in the door in one swift movement. He was expecting a fight, or at the very least a thrown jutsu or a paper bomb. He was a bit disappointed when there was nothing.

_Shit_. The cabin was empty. The fire was barely warm as he held his hand over it; maybe from last night? Iruka stood up and sheathed his sword, whistling a birdcall, the all clear. Moments later Inu appeared in the doorway.

“Our targets have flown the coop,” Iruka stated.

“Convenient for them. How long?” Inu scanned the room, keeping an eye on the exit, just in case.

Iruka paced across the floorboards. “Six, possibly seven hours.”

Inu looked thoughtful. “Something you want to share?” Iruka asked.

“Just a suspicion,” Inu responded. He held up his hand, his gesture clearly indicating silence.

Iruka waited, until Inu shook his head. _Later_.

“We should search the cabin since we are here.” Inu nodded agreement, but the search turned up nothing; in and of itself, even more suspicious. “It doesn’t matter,” Iruka said. “We now have a clear trail to follow. One, or a number of people, are currently on the move and leading us directly to wherever it is they are going. Do you want to follow them, or return to Konoha and report our findings?”

Inu didn’t hesitate. “We follow. We can’t afford to lose the trail now. I’ll send a summons back to Konoha with an update.”

Iruka watched with interest as Inu bit his thumb, formed hand seals, and slammed his hand down onto the floorboards. There was a puff of smoke and a small pug wearing a blue vest appeared.

“I was expecting something… _larger_ ,” Iruka said.

The dog turned to Iruka and blinked watery eyes at him. “It’s not just the package,” the dog said, “It’s what you do with it that counts.”

Iruka tried not to laugh. “Really?”

The dog glared at Inu. “Picking up stray cats now?”

Before Iruka had a chance to respond, Inu said, “Enough, Pakkun. I need you to get a message to Morino Ibiki, at T & I.”

“Sure thing, boss.”

Inu pulled out a piece of paper and rapidly began to write. Iruka could see Inu was well versed in shinobi shorthand; his ink brush flew across the paper. Shorthand was useful in the field; it took less time to write, and was almost impossible to break unless you knew the key. Every village had its own form of shorthand, and Iruka was versed in no less than three variations. Inu was sticking with the basic ANBU code though. Once the note was complete, he rolled the paper up and attached it to his summon’s collar.

“Should I wait for a reply?” Pakkun asked.

“No. All details are in the note. I’ll summon you and the others if I need further assistance.”

“Good enough.” Pakkun nodded, and trotted out the door, jumping down the steps.

“Is he going to be all right?” Iruka asked. “He doesn’t have very long legs. Not exactly designed for long distance endurance, is he?”

Inu laughed. “He’s one of my nin-dogs. He could keep pace with either of us no problem. We should move out, if we want to pick up that trail.”

“I’ll see what I can find,” Iruka said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I count at least six shinobi, moving away from each other in a scatter pattern.” Iruka walked back over to Inu and his team. “It’s what I’d do too if I suspected I was being followed by another shinobi squad.”

Tatsu nodded. “Designed to split the pursuing team up and weaken them since a ninja is less effective away from their group.”

“Exactly.” Inu was clearly thinking things through, running through possibilities and outcomes. That was the one advantage Iruka had over the ANBU team: he was used to working alone.

“We are going to have to split up if we want to have any chance of figuring out what their destination is,” Iruka reasoned.

“I don’t like it,” Inu replied. “But we have no choice.”

“Kurohyou, you said there were at least six ninjas. How many trails?”

“Three leading away from this location.”

Inu looked towards the tree canopy, still thinking. “Neko, you’ll take one trail, I’ll take another. Kurohyou, I want you with Tatsu.”

Iruka nodded. Without further ado he leapt into the branches, Tatsu close on his heels. They kept pace with each other, stopping occasionally to check the ground for signs of the enemy shinobi. It was too quiet, Iruka thought uneasily. Hours had passed with no sign of the enemy.

He held up a hand, a signal to stop, and Tatsu landed on the branch next to him, crouching down. He joined her. “If you were being pursued, and you had a head start, what would you do?” he said quietly.

“I’d set traps.”

“So would I. We should be careful.”

Tatsu snorted. “You don’t have to tell me.”

Iruka dropped to the ground, searching for signs of the trail. They picked it up and ran for a further hour. Iruka was starting to get twitchy; he always did when he knew something big was imminent. Iruka had learnt over the years to watch for the little signs; the things that a normal person might miss. The birds had stopped singing a few miles back and the forest held an unnatural stillness, as if something was holding its breath.

Suddenly, the ground in front of Iruka fractured with an ear-shattering crack and the soil heaved violently. Iruka sprang upward, trying to avoid the leading edge of the jutsu. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tatsu twist away, a flash of black and silver against the green of the forest, but then he had no time to worry about his partner. From the shattered earth came a ninja, dressed in khaki and red with a kunai drawn, and Iruka parried with one of his own. Sparks flew as the two weapons connected and Iruka sprang away, pushing off the tree behind him and engaging once again. Still holding the kunai defensively, Iruka formed seals for a fire jutsu and directed it point blank at his opponent. He spared a split-second glance at Tatsu; she was fighting off two more Rock shinobi, katana flashing as she parried with broad strokes. On the defensive, she had no time to form seals for a jutsu.

“I’m your opponent, Konoha,” spat the ninja. “Do me the favour of worrying about I might do next, rather than worrying about your partner.” He landed on the ground with a heavy crunch, and Iruka saw the soil buckle under him. He began to flash through hand signs and Iruka backed off, but not fast enough. The ground rippled and seemed to turn to sand beneath his feet. Iruka leapt backward, and then again, pulling out a water wave jutsu. He channeled chakra to his feet and ran across the water, delivering a solid kick to the nin’s face. The man was built like brick, the chakra-laced kick barely seemed to register.

“Kurohyou!”

Tatsu’s warning shout registered a split second before the punch to his jaw did and Iruka reeled to the side, dropping into a crouch before springing into the branches. One of the shinobi fighting Tatsu seemed to have decided that Iruka was a better target. Fortunately, his mask was still in place, but his jaw hurt like a son of a bitch. Iruka formed seals for his water pellet jutsu, releasing it in a wide arc that took out his original opponent, while the second ninja flickered out of range. Iruka pulled out a handful of shuriken and let them fly, then set off after the man. Despite taking a couple of shuriken in the leg, the man was still moving quickly, weaving in and out of the trees. Iruka skidded to a halt as soon as he lost sight of the nin, sensing the buildup of chakra that signaled an attack. He leapt in the air, avoiding the man as he pushed up out of the ground, grabbing for Iruka’s legs. In midair, Iruka unsheathed his katana and bought it down in a flashing arc across the man’s chest. Iruka registered that moment of surprise on the man’s face, maybe disbelief, before he pitched forward and lay still.

Iruka dropped into a crouch, sword still in hand, and tried to focus. The first shinobi he had fought was nowhere to be seen and Iruka had a sneaking suspicion that the second ninja had attacked on purpose; to draw Iruka’s attention away.   After a few moments he got to his feet, setting back the way he came, looking for signs of Tatsu. The fight must have moved locations because Iruka could find no sign of her or her opponent. Iruka channeled chakra to his feet and took to the trees, preferring a higher vantage point during a pursuit. Logic said they wouldn’t have gotten far, not with the kind of hand to hand, weapon to weapon fighting they had been engaged in.

It took ten minutes before Iruka picked up Tatsu’s trail of destruction. Judging by the state of the surrounding forest, Tatsu had pulled out a lightning jutsu or two. A couple of trees were stripped bare of leaves and were slowly smoldering; they had a nightmare resemblance to burnt, skeletal remains. A mile or so further on – with no sign of his original opponent – Iruka came across Tatsu, straddling her enemy. He lay on his back, gasping for air. Iruka paused on his branch and watched as Tatsu leaned forward, whispering into the shinobi’s ear. His clothes were burnt in places, skin blackened, and he looked… frightened. As well he should be, Iruka thought. ANBU were just one of many that you shouldn’t fuck with. Tatsu finished what she was saying and then froze, her posture changing. She glanced over at Iruka and her mask looked fierce, full of flame like her namesake. Then she turned back to the Rock nin and pulled a kunai, dispassionately slitting his throat in one brutal movement.

Iruka paused, his mind rushing through all that he had seen, trying to organize his thoughts. He let it go for a moment, knowing that eventually all these things, the play of the fight, the chase, would organize themselves into something coherent. Something was nagging at him, like a pulled thread on a shirt, and his mind needed to work through the problem.

He dropped to the ground, showing himself fully. “Tatsu,” he acknowledged. “Did you find our third opponent?”

Slowly she wiped her kunai on the dead shinobi’s flak jacket and got to her feet. “No, I lost him. I do, however, have the location of the base they were heading for. This piece of scum liked to talk.”

“I could see that.”

Tatsu pocketed the kunai. “We should get moving.”

Iruka considered carefully for a moment and then pulled out a piece of parchment from a pocket, and also a brush. “Make a map of the location, and we will send it to Inu and Neko. They can meet us there.”

“Agreed.”

Iruka watched as Tatsu sketched rapidly. He wondered if Inu and Neko had taken down their targets, or if they’d stopped to gather information as Tatsu had. Iruka was used to a clean kill; he liked to think what he did was of benefit to Konoha, to maintaining the Village’s secrets, keeping its clans, its citizens, and its knowledge safe by taking out immediate threats. The ANBU were fearsome warriors; however, they danced on the borderline of what Iruka thought of as covert, secretive operations. They too protected Konoha but in a different capacity; through assassination, through misdirection, and they apparently were not above torture as he had just seen. Still, this was nothing he didn’t already know, but he hadn’t seen it in action before. Iruka was far from squeamish, but the quicker he was away from Tatsu the happier he’d be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	3. Chapter 3

The further north they tracked, the forest began to change. You could always tell when you started to reach the border of Fire Country as the oak and ash began to thin out, to be replaced with maple, and if you went far enough, pine. They were currently skirting the border of Fire Country, close to Sound. Iruka didn’t like Sound; while Orochimaru had gone quiet this past year or so, it still sent a frisson of unease through Iruka, although he couldn’t place why. Iruka shook his head and focused on Tatsu’s back. She was in the lead, Iruka keeping point behind. He wondered if Inu and Neko had received his message yet: if they hadn’t, when they arrived at the enemy’s location they would most likely be seriously outnumbered.

Tatsu gave a hand signal and stopped on a branch. Iruka landed next to her. “If I’m right, the base should be just ahead.”

It was early dawn, the light not yet broken the tree line. In this half-light, it was difficult to make out distance, to see if shadow was indeed shadow and not a person, for instance.

“We should rest,” Iruka suggested. “Let’s give Neko and Inu some time to reach us.”

Tatsu nodded and sank down onto the branch, leaning her back against the tree trunk, while Iruka hopped up a couple of branches higher and did the same, facing west. When the sun rose, he wanted his back to it so he wouldn’t be blinded by the glow. Far easier to see your enemy when they are the one blinded by the sun.

Iruka dozed for an indeterminate period of time. He kept part of his mind alert and let the other part rest, conserving his strength. Part of being a ninja was waiting, and patience had always been both a virtue and a necessity. This time was no different from many others.

A soft footfall woke him, although he kept his body loose, not betraying the fact he was awake.

“You look cute when you’re pretending to sleep.”

“And I could probably gut you from here, and with my eyes closed,” Iruka muttered, knowing Inu would still hear him.

“Only if I let you.” The comment was made casually, but Iruka knew it was the truth. He opened his eyes. Inu stood not four feet away and something about his body language told Iruka he was probably ginning under the mask.

Neko dropped down next to Inu and said, “Gah, the foreplay between you two is killing me. Sempai, please, at least buy the man dinner.”

Iruka spluttered, while Inu laughed that quiet, seductive laugh of his. “I’m embarrassing my kohai,” he said. “I live for these moments.”

Tatsu joined them, offering Inu a bow in greeting. Iruka watched curiously as Inu’s body language changed, becoming rigid and closed off. Iruka frowned; now that was interesting. Just another thing to add to Iruka’s pile of jumbled thoughts and impressions of the mission so far.

After a few moments, Inu began to speak, all signs of humour gone. “Before we found you, Kurohyou, Neko and I scoped out the base that Tatsu drew on the map. Most of it appears to be underground, or concealed into the side of the cliff face looking over the river that runs through the nearby valley. This means we are essentially going in blind.” He paused and held up a gloved hand, ticking off points. “There is only one entrance; no convenient back door so we can’t attack in a classic pincer formation. This means we have to go in single file which I don’t like. Also, we can’t ascertain the layout ahead of time; we could be facing anything in there. This place could be a couple of rooms, or it could be massive. I want everyone on full alert, understood?”

Iruka nodded. “I don’t like this,” he said. “It’s quite obviously a trap.”

“Agreed,” Neko replied. “However Inu-san is correct. If we want to take the base and any intelligence belonging to Konoha, we have to go in.”

“Tatsu, anything you want to add?” Inu asked.                                                              

“No, let’s get this done.”

Iruka climbed to his feet and stretched, loosening his muscles. “Then let’s go spring this trap.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The entrance to the lair (as Iruka had nicknamed it, because according to his view of things, bases were built in plain sight, and lairs tended to be hidden) was no more than a large, round cover in the ground about ten feet across. All four members of the team remained hidden in the tree line while Neko formed seals for a wood jutsu. Iruka was intensely curious about this; historically only one shinobi had the ability to use wood jutsu and that was the First Hokage. Iruka wanted to ask Neko about it but also didn’t want to pry. Konoha was damn good at compartmentalizing secrets. Neko completed his seals and a branch began to grow from his forearm, snaking across the grass from the trees to the cover. A smaller branch developed off of the main one, only a twig now, and pushed under the cover. _Clever_ , Iruka thought. He watched as it grew, pushing at the cover until Neko was able to form what was essentially a prop to hold it open.

They waited, but no enemy shinobi came spilling out or sounded the alarm. Inu made a signal and the team split, surrounding the entrance. Neko slipped beneath the cover and went down, followed by Iruka and then Inu and Tatsu at the rear.

Iruka’s first impression was of dank darkness, broken only by the occasional torch set into the walls. Stairs spiraled downward in a tight curve to the left. Iruka muttered a curse; these stairs were designed by someone with defense on their mind; curving in a left-hand spiral, it meant that anyone going down who was right-handed was immediately at a disadvantage and would be unable to draw a weapon effectively. Anyone right-handed on the defense from below would have a full swing.

As they moved down, the walls became solid rock, which meant that now they were below the river and the valley, although Iruka could only guess how far. The corridor straightened out at the bottom of the stairs, disappearing into the distance, puddles of warm light from the sconces highlighting the way. Fifty feet further on, and they had met no resistance.

“Thoughts?” Iruka whispered as they drew close to where the corridor branched.

“Either we’ve been misled by the nin I killed back there and the base is empty, or they are planning an ambush,” Tatsu said.

“We have no choice but to go onward.” Inu risked a glance around the corner. “The corridor splits into four here, so we will save time and each take a direction. Questions?”

Nobody responded, so Iruka randomly took the third corridor that branched north-east. He drew the black blade of his katana and moved forward slowly, keeping in the shadows between the wall sconces. The first door he came across was open, the room empty. The corridor started sloping upward and now Iruka had to contend with the steady trickle of water along one wall; it seemed he was close to the river which flowed nearby.

Iruka made a rookie mistake then, one he was glad nobody was around to see. Intent on the flow of water and where it was possibly coming from, he almost missed the silent appearance of a shinobi from one of the rooms. Iruka jumped back and parried the enemy’s kunai with his katana. He shook his head, clearing his mind, refocusing. Another enemy had slunk from one of the other rooms behind him, and now Iruka moved in a whorl of black and silver, attack, parry, block. The space was too enclosed for jutsu, so it became the grind of two on one, wearing the enemy down, looking for an opening. That opening came and Iruka moved quickly, slicing the blade across one shinobi’s chest in a flashing arc, spinning to the left, moving to avoid the other nin, bringing his blade across the other’s neck. Iruka watched the last nin’s head bounce to the ground and shook his katana, freeing it of blood. He moved more carefully now, sword at the ready, as the ground rose. Iruka reckoned he was above ground level, maybe within the cliff itself. The corridor began to widen, the walls now dressed stone rather than hewn rock. He could no longer smell damp, reinforcing his theory that he was above proper ground level. The corridor met another, coming from the left, and a short way on ended in a large room filled with scroll cases and a large table in the middle.   It was the payload; whoever was behind the plan to steal the scrolls had been using this place to study them.

Iruka paused in the entrance, focusing on the room, getting a feel for it. He heard a small sound, just the scuff of a sandal, before he moved to intercept the Rock shinobi that came at him from behind a bookcase. Iruka changed plans; began to hound the nin toward the back of the room, around the table. Capture, not death, was his goal; he needed to understand what was going on here and he needed the enemy alive to do so.

It appeared, however, that the shinobi wasn’t a fighter, if he was even a shinobi. He held his weapon close to his body and his hand shook with faint tremors as he circled the room. His eyes darted from side to side nervously, and no shinobi on his game would do such a thing. Losing eye contact with your enemy was suicidal.

Testing his theory, Iruka raised his katana and the man gave out a small screech of fear, dropping the kunai to the floor with a jarring clang.

Iruka grinned behind the mask. He took two strides forward, kicked the dropped kunai to the side and grabbed the man by his shirt, pushing him against the wall. “I’m sure you’ll tell me everything I need to know,” Iruka reasoned. “Shall we do this the hard way or the easy way?”

“No, no, wait!” The man swallowed nervously. “I can be reasonable. I’ll tell you everything!”

Iruka knew his first impression was correct: this man was probably a civilian, hired by whoever was stealing the scrolls. No ninja, after years of training or conditioning, would offer information so quickly. “I’m listening,” Iruka replied, allowing a hint of darkness to creep into his voice.

“I was kidnapped! My family threatened, my – “

“Try again.” Iruka shook the man until he was fairly sure his teeth rattled. “I see no sign of you being held against your will. The door was open for a start.”

“Where am I going to go?” The man whined. He stared at Iruka’s mask and then dropped his gaze and swallowed nervously.

“Why don’t we start at the beginning?” Iruka suggested, tightening his hand on the man’s shirt. “What’s your name?”

“Gin. I don’t see what that has to do with anything.”

_Petulant_. Iruka grimaced behind the mask. “Well, Gin, you and I are going to discuss what you are doing with Konoha’s forbidden jutsu scrolls. Are you selling them?”

“No, I was hired to co –“

Two things happened in quick succession: first, Gin’s eyes widened over Iruka’s shoulder, and Iruka felt that telltale itch between his shoulder blades that said someone was behind him. Before he could react, a tanto blade seemed to magically appear in the man’s throat. Iruka’s mask and flak jacket were covered in a spray of warm blood and Iruka let go of Gin’s shirt, stepped back and twisted to the side, looking for his attacker. He heard Gin’s body slump to the floor but ignored it.

Tatsu stood across from the desk, hands up.

“What the fuck?” Iruka spat. “He was starting to talk.”

“He was dangerous!” Tatsu slashed her hand to the side, a gesture of dismissal.

“He was a _civilian_!”

“You can’t have known that! What if he’d had a concealed weapon? He could have gutted you in a heartbeat!”

She moved around the desk and walked over to the body. She reached down and pulled her tanto blade free from Gin’s neck. It made a sickening sucking noise as the blade came free. “The man was dangerous.”

“ _Dangerous_?” Iruka spat furiously. “He was terrified. He would have talked with minimal effort on my part.”

Iruka’s argument didn’t seem to sway Tatsu. She shrugged. “I deemed him a threat and I took care of it. Taichou, the room is clear and all threats neutralized.” She spoke to someone just outside the door.

Inu entered the room and looked about, stopping to examine a scroll on the table. He gave it a moment’s attention, until Iruka thought the atmosphere couldn’t get any more fraught with tension. “Report, Kurohyou,” Inu said.

Iruka fought to suppress his anger and failed spectacularly. “I was about to question this suspect – who was a civilian, not a shinobi – when Tatsu nearly took my fucking head off with her tanto in a quest to _neutralize_ the enemy.”

Inu paused, releasing the scroll he had opened. “Tatsu, Neko is on cleanup a level down. Go down and assist while I talk with Kurohyou.”

“Yes, Taichou.” Tatsu stopped in the doorway and offered a small bow. “My apologies, Kurohyou.”

Inu watched as Tatsu left and then moved to the doorway. Iruka could feel his anger boiling away beneath the surface; his outburst a moment ago had not taken the edge off, merely postponed the inevitable. Inu checked both directions beyond the door before closing it. He glanced at Iruka and then moved past him toward the desk. “Come here,” he said, gesturing.

Iruka sheathed his katana and strode toward Inu, who was leaning with one hip against the table. Iruka read his body language as feigning disinterest, but Inu was wound tight, all dangerous, lean predator. Usually, it would herald a hot spark of desire in Iruka, but for once, he wasn’t going to fall for the bait.

“What the bloody fuck just happened,” he ground out. Inu turned, leaning back against the table, head to the side, watching Iruka. Iruka, however, had only just begun to vent and wasn’t going to be stopped by the ANBU equivalent of an open invitation to fool around. Despite the mask, Iruka was starting to be able to read Inu. At any other time, that thought would have pleased him. Now, he was just… angry.

“We could have gotten valuable information from that man,” Iruka began, stopping a few inches away from Inu, hands on hips. “As it now stands, with Tatsu taking out our only source of intel, we have no idea where to go from here. How can I do what I need to do - to track these assholes – if our only lead has a sword in his throat?”

“Then we search this room, find out what they were doing. There will be a clue here, Kurohyou, somewhere in this warren of a base. The game is not over, not by a long shot.” Inu’s voice was laced with threat and Iruka was glad it wasn’t aimed at him. He pitied the group of people it was aimed at, however. “If you do your job, it shouldn’t be hard to figure out where we need to go next.”

“Do my job?” Iruka leaned in and placed his hands on the table, on either side of Inu’s hips. Inu leaned back slightly; now Iruka was a threat and in his personal space, and Iruka knew it must have taken Inu great control not to react. “Do _my_ job?” Iruka repeated, voice tight with anger. “It was _your_ job to keep your team under control, to support me. Instead, one of your team effectively went rogue and now we have lost the direct source to what is going on.”

Inu paused as if he was listening for something. Then he refocused on Iruka and leaned forward, until they were as close as could be without actually touching. “Exactly,” Inu said.

“What?” Iruka was confused.

“Let go of your anger,” Inu whispered urgently, leaning in. “Examine the situation. Your anger puts you off guard, stops you from seeing the truth. It’s a shinobi’s worst rookie mistake. What do you see, what does that intelligent mind of yours tell you?”

“That we’ve been played all along,” Iruka said flatly. Like a child’s jigsaw puzzle, pieces started to fit together. He stared at Inu and considered, taking a deep, calming breath. He forced the adrenaline-fueled anger back and fought for clarity, tried to do what Inu asked, but the prickle between his shoulder blades was not passing. He could still feel how close that blade had come to taking him out, passing only centimeters from his throat, his back, his _head_. The body on the floor could just as easily have been himself.

“Tell me what you’ve observed.” Inu’s voice was a pool of icy calm in the maelstrom of Iruka’s thoughts.

“We have a traitor on the team.” Iruka realized he had clenched his hands on the table, and made an effort to relax. He stepped back, giving Inu space.

“Go on.”

“Tatsu,” Iruka said after a moment. The name hung in the air; once said, it couldn’t be retracted, they both knew that. Voicing a thing made it real. “She’s the running thread through this whole chase, right from Otufuku Gai,” Iruka stated with surety. “When we left the town, she had enough time alone to send a message to her compatriots in the cabin while we rested in the forest. Then, when we arrived they were conveniently gone, and the cabin was cleaned out with no damning evidence remaining.”

“I agree.” Inu stood up, watching as Iruka began to pace. “But it could just have easily been me or Neko, passing on intelligence.”

“No.” Iruka appreciated Inu’s attempt to look at all angles. “Neko was on guard duty, and you were talking with me.”

Something clicked into place for Iruka; he remembered his conversation with Inu in the cabin. He’d held up his hand to interrupt Iruka, but Inu had given the shinobi sign for ‘later.’

“You knew, didn’t you? Or at least suspected something was not right back at the cabin.”

“Something was off,” Inu admitted. “I just wasn’t a hundred percent sure until just now.”

“So you were watching from the doorway? You didn’t think to warn me that Tatsu was behind me?” Iruka’s voice started to rise again.

“I had to be sure. I had to let things play out and see if my hunch was correct.” Inu reached for Iruka, but Iruka took a step further back.

“I’m very fucking angry right now, Inu,” Iruka bit out. “Don’t push your luck.”

“Are you angry at me or at yourself?”

“And don’t fucking psychoanalyze me, either.”

“You understand why I had to let things play out and not intervene?” Inu moved back to the desk, pushed a scroll to the side, examining it.

Iruka knew Inu wasn’t ignoring him; merely giving him space in that ninja-guy way. Giving him time to collect himself. Iruka took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. “I understand why you did it. I would have done the same thing. It doesn’t make it easier.”

“Nothing about being ANBU is easy,” Inu replied. “If it was, our ranks would be full. Now tell me what else you’ve observed about our traitor.”

Iruka nodded. “Okay. After the cabin, we all split up to follow the various trails the enemy had left. I fought off one nin while Tatsu took on two. One managed to get clear of her and came after me.”

“You think on purpose?” Inu rolled up the scroll he’d been looking at and pocketed it.

“I think, in retrospect, she was fighting a fake battle, making it look like she was on our side. She was hoping to take me down the easy way, with help from her allies. When that didn’t work, her game plan changed. I defeated one guy, and the other fled. When I found her, she was talking to one of the nin we’d been fighting. She told me she was trying to retrieve information.”

“And you think differently?”

“I think she was trying to find out from him exactly who was here at the base, and who needed to be neutralized to maintain her cover.”

“That would make sense. I would do the same thing if the situation had changed enough to warrant it,” Inu replied.

“I was suspicious, but not sure,” Iruka continued. “So I asked her to draw me a map showing the location of the base, which she did. She shouldn’t have been able to do that from a vague description given by a dying man she’d just tortured. The map was too exact, had too many details that only someone who had actually been there would have known.”

“Clever, Kurohyou. Remind me not to cross you, ever.”

Iruka ignored that comment. “The final piece is taking down the man in this room, before he could speak. As a traitor, it would have been her best option to avoid discovery.”

“But she didn’t kill you,” Inu pointed out.

“That part worries me; it’s the only thing that doesn’t fit,” Iruka admitted. “In retrospect, it is very unlikely a tanto blade thrown at me would have killed both me and that man at the same time. She would have been weaponless, and she would have showed her hand before she meant to.”

“So she made a call, and killed him instead, knowing the information would die with him.” Inu walked to Iruka and placed his hands on Iruka’s bare shoulders.

“Taichou?” The door opened and Tatsu put her head around it. Iruka felt a rush of pure rage envelope him and Tatsu baulked, quickly picking up on his killing intent.

Inu dropped his hands from Iruka’s shoulders and said to Tatsu, “Sorry, lover’s tiff.”

“Bastard,” Iruka ground out, but took his cue, forcing the intent back down. He didn’t have to feign the barely simmering anger under the surface, but at least Tatsu would mistake it as being directed at Inu and not her.

“Report,” Inu said.

“We found a new pocket of enemy nin two levels up. Neko will require backup. I shouldn’t have left him but I didn’t see I had any choice.”

_You are hoping the enemy will overwhelm him, whittle our numbers down one by one_ , Iruka thought.

“Understood.” Inu turned to Iruka. “We should move out and assist.”

Iruka nodded, watching as Tatsu disappeared from the doorway, no doubt heading back down the corridor. “Are you going to expose her?” he asked. “You had better tell me now, so I know who to fight and when.”

Inu seemed to be considering options. “I think we have no choice but to expose her as a traitor.”

“Can I make a suggestion? If we play along with her, you can say T & I has called us back to Konoha. We can turn her in when we arrive.”

After a moment, Inu nodded. “That may be the easier route to go. Can you fake being a team for that long?” Inu drawled.

“If I have to, I can fake anything. I’m a shinobi,” Iruka replied.

“Not reassuring, especially in the orgasm department,” Inu said.

“How can you go from traitors to sex in a split second?” Iruka said, exasperated.

Inu leaned right into Iruka’s space and whispered in a silky, suggestive tone, “I’m a closet pervert with long practice. I can, however, tell a fake orgasm a mile off. And that last one you had _wasn’t_ faked.”

Iruka felt his cheeks heat behind the mask. Embarrassment warred with desire, however, he had time for neither. Neko was in very real danger, and that was sobering enough as it was. “We should get going.”

Inu nodded and began walking toward the door, his gait all business once again.

Iruka pulled his katana and followed Inu down the corridor, toward the sound of fighting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When they found Neko, he was holding his own against four shinobi – an impressive feat in and of itself. Three were jounin Rock nin, the other he recognized from the bingo book as a S-Ranked missing nin from Kiri. _Interesting_. Rock had a history of working behind the scenes with Mist, and Iruka wondered if it was a coincidence or if there was more at play than either he or Inu had originally assumed. As Iruka approached, hot on Inu’s heels, three more ninja appeared from doorways. Despite closer quarters, or maybe because of it, the fighting was fierce. Tatsu clearly was not ready to show her hand, fighting alongside Inu, and they made a deadly team with blades whirling with lethal and beautiful precision.

Iruka ducked a thrown punch and gave a kick back, knocking his opponent into the wall and following through with his katana, turning to the next ninja. They pushed the Rock shinobi back into another corridor which opened out into a larger room, similar to the one two levels down where the library was. This room was clear of obstruction, allowing some to attempt to use jutsu, never a good thing in enclosed spaces. The fight was starting to thin out, Inu’s team doing a good job of taking down the shinobi as quickly as possible. As the final enemy nin fell to one of Inu’s clones, Iruka paused, sword still in hand, and caught his breath. He waited; more shinobi could appear at any moment.

Inu sheathed his katana and beckoned the team toward the center of the room. He had a streak of blood across his shoulder, but it wasn’t his. “Thoughts?” Inu asked.

“There could be many more enemy shinobi,” Neko said. “We still don’t understand how big this place really is.”

Tatsu nodded. “It’s in our best interests to take out as many as we can while we can.”

“We should go through the scroll room,” Iruka said, pushing Tatsu’s comment to the side. It would have been useful advice – had she not been working toward her own goals. “There will be valuable information there we can use. Ibiki will want to see it.”

“We could split up again, although I don’t recommend it,” Neko said.

“Agreed, we will stay together as a team,” Inu replied. “I want everyone in sight at all times. I do, however, believe that Kurohyou is correct. We should gather as much intel as possible as we leave the base. That means if we have to fight our way back to the library, we will. There is information there we cannot leave behind to fall into enemy hands.”

“I can’t let you do that.” For the first time since Iruka had heard Tatsu speak, she seemed unsure of herself. Shaky, even. Resigned. She reached up her hand, pulling the red ties on her porcelain ANBU mask, letting it drop to the floor, where it shattered into tiny pieces. Iruka committed her true face to memory automatically: cold, green eyes and chin length wavy auburn hair, framing a heart shaped face.  

It was done. Tatsu had made up her mind, no going back now. Clearly there was something highly valuable and extremely damning in that room, something she didn’t want Konoha to see or to find, something worth blowing her cover over. She was going to fight, possibly to the death, to prevent that happening. Iruka wanted dearly to know what information was.

Iruka realized he was holding his breath – watching his carefully laid plan to bring her back to Konoha as a team crumble. He clenched his hands on the hilt of his katana, waiting to see who would make the first move, prepared to back up Inu and Neko when needed.

“Inu-san, Neko-san, I wanted to say it has been an honor to serve with you as a team.” As she spoke, her voice became stronger, her mind made up. She took a defensive stance, stepping away from everyone, raising her sword. She must have known it was an impossible fight, one person against three ANBU level shinobi.

“Senpai?” Neko was confused, and rightly so. While, moments ago, they had been a cohesive team, now they were on opposite sides.

“Do you trust me, Neko?” Inu asked, not taking his eyes off Tatsu.

“Of course.”

Inu let out a deep breath and raised his katana. “Then we fight now and I’ll explain later. I want her alive.”

Neko nodded, content to put his trust in his captain.

“Just answer one question. Why betray Konoha?” Iruka asked.

She laughed. It echoed around the hollow room. “Why would I explain that, now my cover is compromised?” she said.

Inu moved in a blur toward her, forming seals. Iruka moved quickly to the left, Neko to the right in a classic attack formation, to surround her. The room filled with fire, which Inu directed towards Tatsu. She countered with a water jutsu, and Iruka knew this wasn’t going to end well. The room simply wasn’t big enough for a major fight with jutsu.

It seemed that Tatsu wasn’t going for a long drawn out fight, however. She laughed, a chilling, hollow sound, devoid of humanity. “Let me show you something _grand_ , Taichou,” she said, flashing through hand seals.

Iruka stared, a wash of cold dread sliding down his spine when he recognized the order of the signs and the seals for water and lightning. “Inu-san,” he warned. “I recognize this. It’s my father’s forbidden jutsu: Starlight Rain.”

Inu must have heard his warning but didn’t pause, rushing forward with sword drawn, attempting to stop her in mid-cast. She finished the ninth seal rapidly and shouted, “ _Sutaaraito Ame_!” The effect was immediate. Thousands of tiny droplets of water filled the surrounding air in a cloud, dropping like mist over the room. Inside each droplet was a miniature spark of lightning. Iruka knew this jutsu, had seen it in action. He knew why it was forbidden: it worked at an almost cellular level. The lightning in the mist would explode on contact, miniature detonations of electricity mixed with water, a deadly combination. It was forbidden because, once released, it couldn’t be controlled; anyone in its path would be hit with the area effect. In Tatsu’s case, she had nothing to lose; everyone in the room was an enemy that needed to be neutralized, preferably with extreme prejudice.

Iruka heard Neko shout something, felt the ground tremble beneath his feet. He lurched to the side; Inu must have used a counter earth jutsu of some kind, believing that earth would cancel out the water aspect of the jutsu. He would have no idea what he was seeing or experiencing, would not understand how much damage this could do. The air sparkled with lightning, and then the light snapped off as he was enclosed in a cocoon of wood, snapping closed around him. There was a massive explosion outside, and then the world went deathly silent.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Moments may have passed; it could have been minutes in that claustrophobic darkness, with no sound, no sight. It was like being divorced from every sense except touch and smell and Iruka had a brief moment when he wondered if was truly still alive, or if this was some of weird precursor to death - that moment before your consciousness fades for the last time and you go to greet your ancestors. The wood cocoon retracted with a splintering sound and Iruka was able to scramble free, blinking into the light. He couldn’t process what he was seeing at first; everything was unrecognizable. Where, moments before, there had been a room, it was now open to the sky, the ceiling gone. A giant hole was blasted in the in the far side, exposing the light of day. The trees were levelled in a large radius, echoing the blast from combined S-ranked jutsu.

Iruka staggered to his feet, unable to believe he was actually alive and relatively unharmed apart from a few bruises and cuts. He heard a moan to his right; Neko was lying on the shattered ground, gasping for breath. To say he was covered in blood would have been an understatement. Of Tatsu there was no sign. He rushed to Neko’s side and knelt down. “Neko-san, it’s me, Kurohyou.” He felt a touch on his shoulder; Inu’s hand. Inu looked bruised and bloody but lacked the wounds that Neko did; Neko must have enveloped him in a wood cocoon as well, Iruka figured. Neko was breathing shallowly, clearly in pain from the hundreds of lacerations on his skin. Iruka had no doubt the damage was much worse than he could see; he knew firsthand what the Starlight Rain jutsu did.

“Lie still,” Iruka commanded. He channeled healing energy, placed his hands on Neko’s chest and closed his eyes, concentrating, healing while he reached out, searching Neko’s body, cataloguing the damage. After a minute or so, he opened his eyes. Inu had pulled Neko’s mask off, exposing a young, bloodied face with large, almond shaped eyes that radiated an agony that Neko would not, or could not, voice.

“Can you heal him?” Inu asked a clipped tone that spoke of barely contained rage.

Iruka nodded. “With time I can repair enough damage for us to move him.”

“Good. Do what you can and then we return to Konoha. This mission is officially over.”

“What?” Iruka’s control wavered and he forced himself to concentrate, to channel the healing energy where it was needed.

“You heard me, Kurohyou.”

“No.” Iruka shook his head emphatically. “Tatsu is now a missing-nin, an enemy of Konoha. It is my sworn duty as a hunter-nin to follow her and take her down.”

“It’s too dangerous.” Inu stared Iruka down through the mask.

“Don’t tell me what’s dangerous,” Iruka snapped. “It’s what I am trained to do. I cannot in good conscience leave a criminal with a forbidden jutsu on the loose. Do you understand?”

“I’m the captain on this mission, Kurohyou. This is my call.” Inu began fishing in one of his pouches, looking for medication, Iruka hoped.

Iruka forced his chakra to smooth out, otherwise the healing would be ineffective. “You can pull rank as much as you want, Inu-san. However, you forget you have no jurisdiction over me. I am not ANBU and I report only to the Hokage.”

“Neko is dying.” Inu’s voice rose for the first time Iruka had ever heard. “If we do not get him back to Konoha, I will have lost two teammates.” He leaned in close to Iruka. “I have lost one already to the enemy, do you think I don’t want revenge?” he hissed. “Shall I lose the other to injury and death as well?”

Iruka dropped his head down and focused. He could feel the clean flow of healing energy moving through Neko’s body, doing its work. He watched as Neko shifted, grasping Inu’s hand. “Senpai?”

“Lie still and let Kurohyou do his work,” Inu replied gruffly.

Iruka had seen missions go to shit before, but never like this. He was curious; Inu was a good team leader, he clearly cared about his team. The defection of one teammate, directly under his nose, and then the wounding of another would be insupportable to a man like Inu. Iruka owed Inu his cooperation, he realized, if they wanted to make it back to Konoha.

Iruka channeled as much energy toward healing as he could, unaware of the passing time. He felt Inu’s hand on his shoulder again, soothing, offering comfort. “Kurohyou, stop before you drain yourself completely.”

“I can keep going,” Iruka said in a determined tone.

“Kurohyou, _stop_.”

Iruka looked up, let his chakra flicker out. He felt a sudden sense of vertigo and the room spun sideways, the floor suddenly in place of the wall. A hand steadied him, keeping him upright as he fought for his balance.   “I’m okay,” he said after a moment. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. You’ve done more than I expected.” Iruka looked down. Neko had some of his color back, not that scary grey tone of someone on the way out. His wounds were numerous and Iruka worried about the ones he couldn’t see, the ones that were internal.

“We need to get him to the Godaime,” Iruka said. “And soon.”

Inu nodded. “We make a run straight for Konoha then.”

Iruka shifted, resting a hand on one of his knees, considering the situation. “I’m going to collect what I can from the library while you get a head start. I have a spare container scroll, I won’t have to carry everything. Can you manage by yourself until I catch up with you?”

Inu considered. “Yes.” He stood up, pulled a scroll from his pouch and performed a summoning jutsu. Iruka was expecting the little dog, Pakkun, so when Inu finished the jutsu he was more than surprised to see a number of different sized dogs boil from the fractured ground in a puff of smoke.

“Shit,” Iruka muttered, staggering to his feet. He counted eight dogs including Pakkun, all wearing the same blue vest with that funny symbol on it. He watched as they sniffed around, collecting around Neko, tails down as they smelled him.

“They’re worried,” Iruka said.

“Yes,” Inu said. “They’ve known Neko for a while. They consider him a friend.”

Iruka watched as Inu gave directions, sending Pakkun on ahead with a message, arranging for the rest to flank him in formation while Buru took Neko on his back since he was the largest. This would leave Inu and the other ninken free to fight if needed.

“Don’t stay longer than you have to, Kurohyou,” Inu said. “There may be other Rock nin here still, biding their time.”

“I understand.” Iruka collected his katana from the ground and checked it for nicks. The blade was still in perfect condition. “I won’t hesitate to fight back should I have to.”

“Stay safe,” Inu said, reaching out a hand and stroking Iruka’s jaw. Iruka hissed for a moment, having forgotten the bruise from the earlier fight. “What’s this?” Inu said, his fingers pausing.

“I got sucker punched on the way here with a chakra laced fist. It happens. But that doesn’t mean you should stop, either.”

Inu laughed and Iruka leaned into the touch, trying to ignore the small tremble he could feel in Inu’s fingers. Fatigue, exhaustion, pain? Iruka wasn’t sure, but for a moment, he felt an overwhelming sense of protectiveness for Inu, despite knowing the man could more than look after himself.

“Stay alive,” Iruka replied gruffly. He watched as Inu directed the ninken, with Neko, out of the side of the building, and into the trees, toward Konoha.

 


	4. Chapter 4

During his final search of the base, Iruka only ran into one more enemy nin. Iruka dispatched him quickly and efficiently, and worked his way back to the library, avoiding some of the new hazards from Tatsu’s jutsu. While it had quite effectively blown out the back wall of the upper room when it had combined with Neko’s earth release, it had also caused structural damage on the lower levels. Iruka skirted large chunks of dressed stone and masonry which had fallen into the corridors. On a couple of occasions, he had to switch back the way he had come, as the ceiling had collapsed into the floors below. Rock dust hung heavy in the air in places, and there was an ominous creaking sound at one point, followed shortly thereafter by the distant sound of another part of the base collapsing in on itself.

 _Mental note to add to the scroll later_ , Iruka thought. _Do not combine with an earth release jutsu_.

The library was pretty much as he and Inu had left it. Iruka stepped past the body of Gin and crossed to the table. One thing was very much out of place – in the centre of the table was a scroll, pinned to the table with a tanto, which Iruka recognized as belonging to Tatsu. It had an elegant white binding on the handle, the sharkskin showing through from underneath. There was also a smear of blood on it; Iruka felt sudden rage course through him, wondering if it belonged to Neko or even Inu. He forced himself to calm down, to examine the tanto further.   This was obviously a message from Tatsu, which meant that it very likely was trapped to blow if it was touched. Clearly a final insurance policy should anyone survive the Starlight Rain jutsu.

Iruka crossed back to the doorway and scooped up a small handful of rock dust from the floor. He walked back to the table, held out his hand, and gently blew the dust over the scroll and the blade. The dust floated through the air, starting to fall and Iruka watched closely. _There_ : the dust settled momentarily on the extremely thin ninja wire attached to the handle. The dust illuminated the wire, showing it following the edge of the blade down to the scroll. Iruka would bet a month’s pay there was, at the very least, an exploding tag under the scroll, judging by the edge of red paper peeping out from one corner.

“Dammit,” he muttered. He tilted his head to the side, examining the scroll. It was literally a copy jutsu, written in simple and elegant script and, judging by the artfully drawn clouds inked in blue around the border, probably from Lightning Village. This went a long way toward explaining why nobody had noticed the scrolls were missing from Konoha. Iruka would bet hard cash the original scrolls had been copied here and then returned back to the Hokage’s forbidden jutsu library. He needed to get this scroll back to Konoha as evidence and Tatsu was counting on that.

Iruka took a deep breath to center himself. If the tag exploded, the scroll would be destroyed, along with the room and probably himself. Tags were chakra-infused, and usually were detonated remotely, after a set period of time, or with fire. The question of the day was; which answer was correct? The damn tag was under the scroll, so he couldn’t examine it. Cut the wire, he thought. Not a brilliant, or elegant solution, but it might work. The wire was there to act as a trigger, if that was disengaged then, by rights, it shouldn’t go off.

Only one way to find out if Iruka’s thinking was flawed. He pulled a small knife from his pouch and leaned over the table, taking a deep breath. He released his breath slowly and, using a steady hand cut quickly through the wire. Iruka waited for the resulting ball of flame, the heat across his skin before he flew apart, but the scroll, and the tag, remained intact. _Life is sometimes spectacularly underwhelming_ , Iruka thought. _Thank the gods._ He let his forearms rest on the table and dropped his head down, letting the resulting adrenaline speed through his system before dissipating. After a few moments he raised his head and yanked the tanto blade from the scroll. He’d been right, there _was_ an exploding tag underneath, but it clearly had not been primed with chakra. Just another reason to kill Tatsu later, Iruka thought. _Bitch_.

He pulled the copy jutsu scroll towards him and examined it. It looked quite old, but impossible to say how old. There was something familiar about it, but he couldn’t place it. He shook his head. He’d worry about that later. Meanwhile, it seemed quite an impressively simple jutsu; the scroll had a symbol in the middle for ‘duplicate’ and further unrolling revealed a lot of explanatory writing on either side, with a large blank space at each end. Iruka grinned at its simplicity: the scroll to be copied went on the right side, a blank scroll on the far left. You completed three hand signs, channeled chakra, and placed your hand in the center where the symbol was. If done correctly, the blank scroll should now be a copy of the original. It had its own built in failsafe too; you couldn’t copy the copy jutsu. _Well fuck_ , he thought. Whoever designed this was a clever bastard, otherwise you’d have millions of copies of everything in the space of a couple of hours.

Speaking of hours, Iruka realized he was wasting valuable time, and also tempting fate by sticking around. There could be any number of enemy nin on their way. Iruka set about collecting what evidence he could, tidying up and leaving no trace of Konoha documents. He placed all the scrolls on the table alongside the copy jutsu, counting no less than thirteen forbidden scrolls belonging to Konoha. One thing was odd though; while he was able to tell these were forbidden, they didn’t carry the Hokage’s seal, which all forbidden scrolls did. These were obviously the copies, then, which was good news. So were the originals back in Konoha or not? Iruka would have to check with Ibiki.   Iruka included the copy jutsu with the other scrolls he was taking with him and put them in a container scroll for safekeeping. He’d also collected a good number of other interesting scrolls which somebody would thank him for later. Probably.

Iruka completed the locking jutsu on the container scroll and put it in his pouch. He could feel its weight, not only physically but mentally. If anyone got hold of that scroll before he made it back to Konoha, they would have the upper hand. It was unthinkable.

Once that was done, Iruka pulled out some of his own exploding tags. He’d perfected these over time and practice – cascading tags. He strung them throughout the room; from the ceiling, the walls, the bookcases and then connected them all with wire which he ran to the doorway and into the corridor.

His final act was to take the tanto blade and slip it into the straps at the back of his vest, just above his pouch. This would be his gift to Inu: the blade of a traitor. Clearly she meant Inu to have it, not only was it a reminder he’d harbored a traitor in the ranks, but it was also a challenge. She wanted him to return it to her at some point in the future; an invitation to settle the score in a bloody and final way. Iruka had no doubt Inu would not hesitate to take up the challenge, and honestly, Iruka wanted to be there when they met.

With a final check around the room, and a final glance at the body of Gin, Iruka made his way to the doorway and pulled on the wire. The cascading tags snapped together in a complicated bundle of wire and black and white paper. From the door, Iruka could make out the symbol on the tags: ‘ _explode’_.

Quickly he made his way to the surface, choosing to exit through the hole Tatsu had made in the room two levels above. Once into the edge of the forest, he formed the snake seal with his fingers, used his chakra to seek out the chakra he’d placed in the tags and whispered “Kai!”

The explosion was gratifying and loud. And hot. Even from a distance Iruka felt the wall of heated air brush over his skin, while a ball of flame at least a story high erupted from the ground. When the smoke cleared, all that remained of the base was a giant concave hole filled with rock and rubble.

Iruka allowed himself a feral grin behind the mask before setting off to meet up with Inu.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka caught up with Inu and his ninken as night was falling. He dropped from the tree branches onto the ground, making enough noise to warn Inu he was coming.

“You took your time,” Inu said. He sounded exhausted. Iruka could sympathize.

“I found a number of interesting items in that room. Did you know they were copying the scrolls, and probably returning them afterward?”

“I suspected as much.” Inu glanced over Iruka quickly. “Can you keep going? I can’t risk us stopping until we reach Konoha.”

“Agreed. How is Neko?” Neko lay unmoving on Buru’s back, arms wrapped around his thick neck.

“He’s stable for the moment, although how long that will last I can’t say.”

Iruka nodded. Inu’s clipped answers spoke of a deep concern for his kohai, and Iruka felt a frisson of fear that Neko wasn’t going to make it. “Let’s push on.”

It was just past dawn the next day when they passed through the gates of Konoha. Iruka had never been so glad to see the あん hiragana on those gates. While it wasn’t ideal for an ANBU team to be seen arriving at all, let alone in the state they were in, they had no choice. They were met by another ANBU team who whisked Neko away, presumably to the ANBU infirmary.

“I must report to the Hokage,” Iruka said. “Will you report to Ibiki or go to the hospital to check on Neko-san?”

Inu dismissed his ninken, offering them parting head-scrubs and pats. “I doubt if there is much I can do for Neko at the moment. He’s in good hands at the hospital.” He paused, gazing off into the distance before he seemed to visibly collect himself, and then he turned back to Iruka. “Doesn’t mean I’m not going to annoy the crap out of him later though, once he’s well enough. No, we should report in. If I know Ibiki, it’s a waste of time to look for him. He will have gone to meet with the Godaime the moment he was informed that we arrived. We’ll go together.”

Inu took to the nearest rooftop, Iruka following. It was good to feel the familiar rooftops of Konoha beneath his feet, to look down and see children in the streets and everyday life continuing on. Shop-keepers calling to customers, an argument breaking out, chuunin talking in a group. As Iruka passed by, one of them looked up, holding his hand to his eyes against the sun.

Inu leapt across an alleyway, with Iruka close behind. He could see blood on Inu’s clothing, a cut on his arm, another gash on his leg. Iruka had no doubt they were a frightening sight to anyone awake at this time of the morning.

The Hokage mountain rose before them as Inu angled again, heading toward the academy building. He leapt a final time onto the rooftop arboretum and stumbled but corrected himself immediately, quickly enough that Iruka wondered if he had imagined it. Exhaustion was taking its toll on them both, neither had done more than nap briefly in the last three or four days. Even the strongest of shinobi needed rest.

They entered the administrative building and made their way around the circular structure. Iruka was glad they’d taken to the rooftops earlier and had entered the building on the level where the Godaime had her office. He doubted he could have made it much further as it was. The door to the Hokage’s office was open and Inu was right; Ibiki was present, standing to the right side of the desk. Iruka shut the door behind him and both he and Inu stood to attention before the Godaime.

“At ease,” she barked, more of a command than a suggestion. She frowned; golden eyes fixed on them both before she fixed her gaze on Iruka. “Report, Kurohyou.”

Iruka could feel a tension in the room, as if there was Tatsu-shaped hole next to him. He swallowed, glad the mask hid his face. “We followed the trail from Otufuku Gai as instructed, Godaime-sama. It led to a cabin, but our quarry had fled. I picked up the trail and we found the place where the forbidden scrolls were being kept.” Iruka pulled the containment scroll out of his pack and set it on the table in front of the Godaime. “All items belonging to Konoha have been collected in that scroll, along with a number of other interesting items that may be of further use.”

Iruka paused. He absolutely did not want to bring up the elephant in the room. Tsunade stared Iruka down, eventually folding her hands under her chin. “And?”

Inu crossed his arms behind his back and his spine straightened. “I regret to inform you that one of our team has been exposed as a traitor to Konoha. The ANBU codenamed Tatsu was working for the enemy.”

Tsunade looked shocked, and out of the corner of his eye, Iruka could see Ibiki stiffen. “You eliminated the threat?” Tsunade switched her attention back to Iruka.

“No, Godaime-sama. Before I could do so, she used a forbidden jutsu. My father’s jutsu, actually. Neko-san was almost killed trying to save Inu-san and myself from it. The effects were… devastating. She fled during the aftermath.”

“I aborted the mission.” Inu’s voice was rough with fatigue. “Kurohyou wanted to follow her, but I decided it was more important that we get the remaining intelligence back to Konoha, along with our injured teammate. I take full responsibility for what happened.”

“We both made the call,” Iruka protested. “It was a joint decision.”

The silence stretched uncomfortably while Tsunade considered things. She shifted in her chair, leaning back. “I want both of you to get some rest; you both look like death warmed over. Then I want a detailed report submitted to Ibiki-san and only at that point we will decide how to handle this. Dismissed.”

Iruka bowed. “Yes, Godaime-sama. Ibiki-san.” He turned and walked toward the door.

“Kurohyou, Inu.” Iruka turned back, felt rather than saw Inu do the same. Tsunade paused. “Good work, shinobi.”

“Thank you, Godaime-sama,” Iruka replied. Iruka could feel the fatigue catching up with him at an alarming rate. It was all he could do to exit the room, nod to Inu, and transport himself home before he collapsed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka slept for most of the day and a good portion of the evening. When he woke, he was face down on the coverlet of his bed, still in his ANBU gear. His black panther mask was on the ground next to the bed, staring back at him with blank, accusing eyes. Iruka groaned and rolled over with a grimace, feeling the coverlet pull against his skin painfully. Switching on the light, he tugged again, feeling the wrench of dried blood on one thigh as it came free. Another small wound he hadn’t noticed earlier. Closer inspection revealed it didn’t need stitches, but he did need a shower. He pushed himself up and padded down the hallway on bare feet, turning the water on and letting the shower heat up. As steam billowed into the small room, Iruka began unwinding his bandages from his legs and arms, throwing them onto the tiles in the corner, then stripping off his uniform. He spent twenty minutes in the shower, letting the grime, sweat and old blood wash from his skin, and then he began to wash up properly.

Out of the shower, he placed a towel over his hair, used another to clean the fog from the mirror and stood there, staring back at his reflection. To say he was a mess was an understatement. The Rock nin that had punched him in the jaw had left a nice bruise as a parting gift; it left a faint shadow against the side of his jaw, just visible against his tanned skin. He had a cut on his neck and a few lacerations on his arms, which were already healing. Iruka couldn’t even begin to think where those had come from. The wound on his shoulder had healed well, thanks to Inu’s stitches, but he’d have to go to the hospital to get those removed since he couldn’t reach them. It was irritating to have to rely on someone else when he was perfectly capable of doing it himself.

His torso was mottled with two- or three-day old bruising from the various fights they’d been in, some of them black and blue. Finally, the cut on his thigh must have been from some kind of blade, maybe a kunai, but that too would heal.

Iruka wondered what kind of condition Inu was in, if he was resting. Iruka doubted that Inu would be the type to let something like a teammate defecting not affect him. He would take it personally, as Iruka did. Iruka had every intention of persuading Ibiki to let him go after Tatsu; he was a hunter-nin after all. It was his duty and he intended to request the assignment.

Sighing, Iruka rubbed his hair dry, combed it, and went to the kitchen, finding a can of soup in the cupboard. Appetite sated for the moment, Iruka went back to bed and slept through the remainder of the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It took Iruka a number of minutes, working backward, to figure out today was Sunday. No school then. That was good news, because he doubted he could have successfully contained an entire classroom of children. He was, however, behind on some things, so he pulled on his chuunin uniform and headed to the Academy. He spent a few hours puttering around, organizing assignments for the next couple of weeks and collecting homework that had been turned in ready for marking. Iruka found his mood improving; he was most at home here in the classroom, with the afternoon sun flooding the room brightly, the smell of chalk. This was what he liked best.

So it was with some irritation that he noticed one of Ibiki’s messenger hawks battering itself against the window. Since Ibiki hadn’t summoned Iruka via his tattoo, he had to assume Ibiki didn’t require him in a hunter-nin aspect. Still, he was surprised Ibiki had waited over a day to summon him to find out why the mission had gone south. Maybe he’d been debriefed by Inu already, but Iruka didn’t think Ibiki was the type to just accept one side of the story. He’d want Iruka’s thoughts and impressions before he made a decision and acted accordingly. He opened the window and let in the bird, which had the gall to squawk in displeasure as Iruka removed the tiny piece of paper from its leg. Giving its feathers a quick soothing stroke, he released the bird and watched as it flew off. He’d been correct; when he unrolled the paper, it was Ibiki’s summons advising him to report to T & I _at his convenience_. That was Ibiki-speak for immediately, and Iruka was not a fool. He locked the classroom and took a leisurely, but direct route to the T  & I building. An ANBU Iruka didn’t recognize escorted him down three levels into the basement, and left once he reached Ibiki’s office. Iruka knocked on the door and opened it, to be confronted by Ibiki talking with none other than… Inu.

“Ah, I can come back,” Iruka said, moving to close the door.

“Stop, Iruka-sensei. Inu-san was just leaving.”

Iruka quite thought that, judging by Inu’s body language, he was about to do nothing of the sort. Then Iruka reminded himself that he was in _chuunin_ uniform, and Inu simply wouldn’t associate his everyday persona with that of the hunter-nin. Technically, this made Inu his superior which was just a little bit annoying.

Inu nodded to Ibiki and strolled to the door. Iruka stood to one side and offered a short bow of respect. “ANBU-san.”

Inu stopped outside the door. “Iruka-sensei.” His name sounded like more of a question, and Inu appeared to be looking him over. Iruka could feel his body start that slow slide of heat, desire curling through him. The sudden image of Inu against that tree formed in his mind, and he used every ounce of willpower to smile vaguely at Inu, rather than let the blood rush to his face.

Inu must have seen what he needed to, because he inclined his head to Iruka and set off down the corridor with a purposeful stride. Iruka was glad to see he seemed well, the fatigue gone.

“Come in, Sensei.”

Iruka entered the room and stood to attention before Ibiki’s desk, but far enough away to allow Ibiki to pace. The man loved to pace; it was how he thought, worked through the hundreds of threads of possibilities to form theories, to take action. Anyone who knew him well enough knew not to enter the sacred three feet near the front of the desk.

“I’ve almost broken the Rock nin we have stashed in the lower basements.”

Trust Ibiki not to mince words, Iruka thought.

“His name is Imari Hiru. He’s a genin of Rock village, probably not a good one judging by how sloppy he was when the police from Otufuku Gai got hold of him.”

From Iruka’s experience, it was unusual to see a person in their twenties as a genin still. Usually, at that point, they gave up wanting to pursue a career as a ninja and found something else to do if they didn’t make chuunin. Nobody could live off the pay of D-ranked missions forever. “So you think he was sent here because he was useful but ultimately expendable.”

“Exactly.” Ibiki turned and _finally_ started to pace. Iruka was glad he’d started; Ibiki standing still always made him twitchy, simply because he _wasn’t_ pacing. That usually meant his attention was fully fixed on you instead, which wasn’t always a good thing. “We’ve discovered that this Imari was receiving the scrolls from a person inside Konoha, and then he was delivering them to his colleagues at the cabin you discovered. The jutsu were copied, and then returned back the same way to Konoha with nobody the wiser.” Ibiki sounded totally pissed off, as if it was a personal affront, which, in reality, it probably was. Naruto was the only other person in the history of the village to successfully steal a forbidden scroll, and he’d only managed it simply because he was _Naruto_ and nobody had bothered to tell him it was impossible.

“Clever. And you suspect that Tatsu was smuggling the scrolls out of the Hokage’s library and taking them to this Imari?”

“It would stand to reason.” Ibiki turned around and began to pace back the other way. “However, I want to confirm this with our prisoner. I’m not going to feed him information, I want it directly from him with no leading questions.” He sounded like he would relish the task, and Iruka shifted uncomfortably on the spot, trying to avoid thinking about what that might entail. “Iruka, when I have all the pieces of the puzzle, I will need Kurohyou to track down Tatsu. You had better tell me now if you have reservations and I will look for an alternative.”

“Absolutely not,” Iruka said emphatically. “It’s my duty to my village, Ibiki-san. If only to avoid having Inu-san or Neko-san take on the duty of tracking down and terminating a former team member. I owe it to both of them.”

“Good.” Ibiki nodded, satisfied. “Expect a summons once I have all the information.”

Iruka bowed and turned to leave.

“Oh and Iruka? Before you go, what do you know of your father’s jutsu? How is it possible that Tatsu was able to use it?”

Iruka took a deep breath. He was surprised Ibiki hadn’t brought it up earlier. “It’s known as _Starlight Rain_. I’m unable to use it because I don’t have a lightning affinity, only water and fire.” He settled into teacher mode, finding it easier to distance himself from the events still fresh in his mind. “ _Starlight Rain_ is a wide area-effect jutsu, utilizing both water and lightning affinities. It’s not a Kekkei Genkai, simply a jutsu my father developed through a lot of hard work and theory over a number of years. It creates a large mist-like cloud, each droplet filled with a burst of lightning that detonates on contact – with either a body or a thing. I understood from my father that it works at an almost microscopic level. It’s also very difficult to control or direct, which is why the Sandaime deemed it best that it was ranked as Forbidden and placed on record in the library.”

“I see. Tatsu uses lightning, and of course water elements.”

“Yes.”

“She was always smart,” Ibiki said after a moment. “She could learn things in a fraction of the time it took most people. That’s why she made a good soldier.”

Iruka wisely said nothing, letting the silence stretch until it was almost uncomfortable. “Ibiki-san, I wish to enquire after Neko-san. Since I cannot visit him like this.” He gestured to his chuunin uniform, “I’m unsure of his condition.”

“He’s healing – slowly. You did a good job of stabilizing him out in the field, Iruka. You and Inu got him home, and he will recover. You have my thanks for that.”

Iruka bowed. “Please pass on my good wishes the next time you see him.”

“I will. Don’t stray too far from the village. Kurohyou will be needed shortly.”

“Of course.” Iruka took the dismissal for what it was, and left Ibiki to his conspiracies and intrigues.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka plunged himself back into daily village life; trying to instill some sense in his students, working occasionally in the mission room when needed, hanging out with friends. Toward the end of the week, he could feel that itch of discontent forming once more. He’d been trying to hold it off by keeping busy, but something was nagging at him. It was that copy jutsu scroll. Tatsu was intelligent, he knew that. He also knew the tanto was her way of trying to goad Inu into a fight, but she wouldn’t have known who would find the blade. Why would she leave it with the scroll?

The obvious reason was to indicate that they’d been copying the forbidden jutsu. That much made sense. But why give the game away? It seemed out of character, unless she was trying to drive some other point home, something Iruka had missed. He needed to look at that scroll again, he decided. The problem was, Ibiki was now in the possession of it, since he’d handed over the container that held all the other items he’d bought back from the library. By now, Ibiki would probably have filed it as evidence, which meant it was out of reach. Unless… Iruka snorted. He was a _ninja_. It was second nature to steal shit. Or of course he could ask nicely, he supposed.

 _I have to get out of here_ , Iruka thought. _If I’m starting to think seriously about borrowing a scroll filed as evidence by the head of T & I, I need to get my head examined. Time to burn off some energy._

Iruka headed toward home and changed into basic ANBU blacks, slipping into some hakama instead of his regular pants. He reached into the trunk containing his gear and pulled out Tatsu’s tanto blade. He’d forgotten to give it to Inu; on the way back to Konoha he’d been more concerned with Neko’s condition, and keeping in fighting formation in case they’d been attacked. Maybe now it was time to track him down and return the blade.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Outside, the sky was overcast, the moon hidden behind a solid layer of cloud cover. Iruka ran lightly across the roofs close to the academy, paying attention to his speed, focusing his chakra so he didn’t stumble in the dark. Below, the streets were lined with lanterns, which bathed the shop fronts and apartments with a warm glow that didn’t quite reach this high up. Here, he was surrounded by a velvet darkness, and his destination, ANBU headquarters on top of the Hokage Mountain, would be even darker.

Iruka was never one to let his training slacken off and tonight was the perfect time to work on his night fighting. One thing he always taught his students was that the enemy would use any means to win a battle, which quite often meant engaging an opponent in less than ideal conditions. A favourite of any experienced ninja was the night ambush.

Which was why Iruka shouldn’t have been surprised that, when he reached the top of the mountain and made his way over to one of the training grounds, he was immediately tackled by a very warm, very solid, familiar body.

Iruka rolled with the body check and came up the other side on one knee. “I knew you were there,” he said, wiping dirt from his shoulder. He couldn’t see it, but he’d felt it when he made contact with the grass. “You were following me from the Academy, all the way up the side of the bloody mountain.”

Inu hummed approval. “What gave me away?”

“The loose tile on the Academy roof. I heard it scrape as it came away, and you took a misstep. Very rookie mistake, not keeping an eye out for basic traps.” Iruka admonished, letting a hint of humour color his voice.

Inu cocked his head to one side. “Maybe I was distracted by the view?”

“And maybe you need to work on your fighting skills, so you don’t let little things distract you in the future.”

“Are you offering to teach me, sensei?”

Iruka froze for a moment in shock, thinking, _how can he possibly know who I am?_ He quickly discarded that thought; Inu was simply using the title to flirt. Iruka pulled out the tanto, dropped it point first into the ground and stood up slowly, letting Inu focus on the blade rather than Iruka’s reaction to what he’d said.

“What’s that?” Inu asked, a touch of steel coloring his voice.

“Kick my ass and maybe I’ll tell you about it,” Iruka replied.

Inu looked away from the tanto and directed a piercing stare toward Iruka. His body language changed as he took on a fighting stance, discarding his grey ANBU vest and his katana. “A wager? I like that,” he said, moving in wide circle around Iruka, never taking his eyes from Iruka’s. “What’s the prize?”

Iruka paused and then the answer came to him suddenly, along with a jolt of adrenaline-fueled desire. He knew what he wanted, and he wanted it now, no more hedging around the issue. “The winner gets to fuck the loser.”

“Well then,” Inu said, his voice dropping down an octave, taking on that whiskey-smooth edge Iruka loved so much. “I'm not going to hold back, you know.”

“I’m counting on it,” Iruka replied. “One rule though, no jutsu or weapons. Just taijutsu.”

“Deal. Now fight me.” He held up a gloved hand and gestured for Iruka to move closer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In retrospect, Iruka thought, maybe picking taijutsu wasn’t such a great idea, because Inu had won their fight last time by cheating, and this time he was definitely playing to win. But then again, so was Iruka, so to begin with it was a pretty even fight.

“You’ve gotten better at taijutsu.” Inu sprang backward and came at Iruka again in a flurry of fists, which Iruka blocked successfully, dropping down to one knee and sweeping out with the other leg, trying to trip him. Inu jumped and twisted, kicking out again and Iruka jerked backward, narrowly missing getting a foot in the face.

“I’ve had practice,” Iruka replied, standing up and dropping into a protective stance. “That last mission gave me more than enough, plus I’ve been sparring with Kotetsu and Izumo.”

“I’m pretty sure they won’t thank you for that,” Inu said, moving in under Iruka’s guard again, blocking one of Iruka’s thrown punches and returning one of his own.

Iruka laughed. “Maybe not.” He let Inu think the hit was going to connect, grabbed his wrist, turned his body into Inu’s and pulled hard, letting Inu drop over his shoulder. Inu landed with a surprised grunt and then rolled to his feet. “Good, Kurohyou. You might just win this.”

“I intend to.” Iruka let his body fall into a rhythm, trusting that his muscle memory knew what to do and how to respond. A ninja’s greatest mistake is to always overthink things in the heat of battle, and this was no different. He let his body respond to Inu’s various threats automatically, knowing that, in the dark, his eyesight, especially behind the mask, was less than perfect.

Inu landed a punch in Iruka’s gut and Iruka stumbled, recovering at the last moment. _Pay attention_ , he scolded. _You are letting your mind wander_.

He renewed the attack, twisting and weaving between Inu’s kicks and punches, admiring the way Inu did the same. It was almost a dance, but it was competitive, at this point neither working together as both wanted to win. Iruka blocked a punch with his forearm and felt the bone jar, numbing his wrist. When he went to block the next kick, followed by a well-placed punch near his face, his hand was not as responsive as before. He flipped backward, using gravity, delivering a kick to Inu’s jaw, surprised to find it connected. He felt a strong hand tighten around his ankle, pulling him back hard and, still in mid-twist, Iruka couldn’t react. He went down, flat on his back, and he realized Inu had used this before, the last time they had sparred. _Stupid_ , he thought, _I should have expected that_. He moved, intending to roll to the side as Inu stood over him, one foot on either side of his thighs.

“Do you yield, Kurohyou?” Inu sounded slightly out of breath.

Iruka gave serious thought to fighting back, but the thought of Inu’s cock finally in his ass after weeks of unresolved flirting was too much. Still, he had his pride. He made one last move, jerking up and throwing a punch, but he found he couldn’t form a fist. Inu laughed and grabbed his wrist, dropping to his knees, pulling Iruka’s unresponsive arm high above his head and pinning it to the ground, effectively immobilizing him.

“Now, now,” Inu admonished in a sing-song tone as Iruka bucked beneath him. “I think I won this one, fair and square.”

“What did you do?”

Inu settled himself over Iruka’s hips and ground down slowly, letting Iruka feel how hard he was. “I hit a pressure point in your arm, numbing the nerves. It should wear off eventually.”

Iruka cursed and Inu laughed; at least until Iruka rolled his hips into Inu’s in revenge. Inu released Iruka’s wrist and leaned back, and began to unwind one of the bandages around his bicep. “What are you doing?” Iruka asked, maybe with just a touch of petulance.

“I’m taking my gloves off.” Inu let the wrap fall to the ground and removed the first, and then did the same on the other arm. “I want to be able to touch you, and to do this.” He placed his bare hands on Iruka’s shoulders, pushing down gently, a warning not to move, and then dragged his palms down Iruka’s chest, over his cloth-covered nipples. Iruka let out a shaky sigh but didn’t move, let Inu trace his way over Iruka’s abs and then push the fabric of his ANBU blacks up, exposing a sliver of his stomach to the cool night air. The first touch of Inu’s bare skin against his caused Iruka to shiver and let out a shaky breath. Any thought of fighting back was gone instantly. Iruka wanted this, to feel Inu’s skin against his, the slide of his muscles, his sweat, his desire.

Inu dragged his blunt nails across Iruka’s abs and down, grasping his waist, rocking his hips, dragging his erection against Iruka’s. Iruka responded, wanting more but willing to let Inu lead and see where it went. Inu shifted further down, his weight now over Iruka’s hips so he couldn’t move, and he let his fingers play across the waistband of Iruka’s hakama. “Inu,” Iruka pleaded.

Inu took hold of the cord holding Iruka’s pants closed and pulled, pushing the loose material down and exposing his hard cock to the air. Inu wrapped his hand around Iruka and stroked slowly, watching his body language. Iruka dug his fists into the ground, feeling the grass beneath his fingertips, wishing Inu would do something more. The adrenaline from the fight was still coursing through Iruka’s veins, and this slow, careful seduction was more than he could take. He needed to get fucked, and hard.

Inu chuckled. “Impatient, Kurohyou? Do you need more?”

“Yes,” Iruka ground out. “Please, do _something_.”

Inu moved then, lifting up a little, flipping Iruka over onto his stomach and settling his weight on the backs of Iruka’s thighs. His hands stroked across Iruka’s lower back and for a moment Iruka was concerned Inu would see the scar on his back, and tensed. Inu leaned down over him, close to Iruka’s ear. “Second thoughts, Kurohyou?”

“No.” Iruka shook his head. “Although I would be very grateful if you would _get on with it_.”

Inu yanked down Iruka’s hakama, exposing his ass. “Like this?”

Iruka nodded, not trusting himself to speak at this point. Engaging in conversation was only going to prolong the actual fucking-and-then-coming section of the evening. Iruka almost let out a sigh of relief when he heard Inu lower the zipper of his own pants and felt his weight move as he pulled them down over his hips. Iruka risked a glance over his shoulder, his mouth going dry when he saw Inu’s cock, thick and long, reaching up to just below his navel. Iruka had never wanted anything so much as he did Inu’s cock at that moment. He felt lightheaded with the need coursing through his body. Iruka moaned and dropped his head back down, inhaling the scent of the bruised grass beneath it, committing it to memory. He knew he’d never smell fresh grass again without remembering this evening.

Inu brushed his hand across Iruka’s ass, squeezing, stroking, moving ever closer to the cleft of Iruka’s ass, at the same time grinding his hips down, sliding his erection between Iruka’s cheeks. He could hear Inu’s breathing quicken and he fisted his hands in the ground and rocked his hips upward. Inu’s cock was slick with precome but that wouldn’t be enough. Inu’s fingers returned, this time slick with lube; Iruka was about to question where he’d gotten that but Inu’s fingers circling his hole was more than enough to make the thought flee unformed. Iruka pushed up into those clever fingers and felt one press inside and then another. Iruka had been worked up since they started fighting, so he was more than ready for this.   He moaned as Inu thrust in with his fingers and heard Inu’s breath hitch.

“Inu, please, just fuck me. I can’t take this,” Iruka said on a shuddery breath.

“Dammit.” Inu removed his fingers, and Iruka felt the thick head of his cock press against his hole. He pushed out and rolled his hips at the same time Inu did, and for a moment he felt deliciously stretched as Inu slid in, slow and steady. Iruka put one hand under him and pushed up to his elbows, head down and legs spread as he reveled in the sensation of being utterly filled. He felt Inu’s balls brush against his ass and then Inu bottomed out, rotating his hips as he settled, before pulling back sharply and then thrusting forward.

Iruka let out a startled gasp as Inu began to fuck him with a steady rhythm, hands on Iruka’s waist to hold him firmly in place. Iruka’s mind blanked of everything except the push and drag of Inu’s cock, the way it filled him, the way he rolled his hips a little at the end of every thrust, pushing deep, deeper. Inu moved faster, harder, until Iruka thought he was going to come like this, in one heady rush. Suddenly Inu slowed and Iruka lost the pace, waiting breathlessly for the next thrust, but Inu was working him, off-time and out of sync, on purpose. Iruka felt his impending orgasm start to recede, leaving a hard, throbbing ache in his balls and dick. Iruka moved, and he heard Inu laugh softly. “Not so fast, Kurohyou. Don’t you want to savour this?”

“I thought you were going to show me a good fucking.”

“Oh, I will.” Inu circled his hips again, cock brushing over Iruka’s prostate and sending tingles down Iruka’s spine. Inu let go of Iruka’s waist and pushed up on his hands, changing the angle now, getting deeper, utilizing his body weight. Iruka spread his legs a little more in invitation. Inu lifted up, until the only thing connecting him to Iruka was his hard, heavy cock, each deep stroke pulling a moan out of Iruka. It was maddening, and Iruka never wanted this to stop. “One day,” Inu said conversationally, “I’m going to fuck you when we’re out of uniform. I want my lips on your skin, I want your mouth on mine. No masks between us, no clothes, just skin on skin.”

“Fuck,” Iruka bit out. He could feel Inu’s body trembling with each stroke, maybe from the strain of holding himself upright like this, maybe from trying to hold off orgasm. Iruka felt a hot thrill of desire in his belly at the thought and he felt his balls drawing tighter.

“The first thing I’m going to do,” Inu continued, “is kiss you, because it drives me crazy that I can’t do that right now. Then I’m going to fuck your ass with my tongue. Nice and deep, until you’re all wet and open and begging for my cock.” Inu dropped his weight, pressing his chest against Iruka’s back, and ground down, pulling a stuttering moan from Iruka. “I like those noises you make, Kurohyou. I want more of them.”

Iruka couldn’t have held back the noises he made even if he wanted to. Every movement of Inu’s hips drew a guttural moan from him that he couldn’t control. Inu sped up, his breath coming harsh and fast now. “Do you make these kinds of noises when you get fucked on your back or only when you’re face down like this, open for me and ready to come?”

Iruka’s body was tight with the need to come and he couldn’t hold it back any longer. Inu’s words were both filthy and a turn on, and Iruka had no doubt Inu knew it. He was pushing Iruka’s buttons, seeing how far he could take it. Inu reached down and wrapped a hand around Iruka’s aching cock and that was it. Iruka’s body tightened almost painfully, and he arched his back, meeting Inu’s final thrust before he came with a shout that he simply couldn’t hold in, the sensations too much, too fast, too many. Inu fucked him through his orgasm, his movements becoming uncoordinated as he tried to hold back. His breath was loud against Iruka’s ear, fingers tightening almost painfully on Iruka’s hips as he lost the rhythm, his hips stuttering. Inu shook silently as he came and Iruka could feel his come filling his ass, before Inu suddenly pulled out, the last of his spend striping across Iruka’s backside and lower back.

Iruka heard Inu drop to the side, still breathing heavily. After a few moments, Iruka rolled over. Inu was flat on his back, arms stretched out. It was strangely endearing to look at, despite the fact his pants were pushed down around his hips, his dick was hanging out and he still wore that bloody mask. Iruka laughed then, a last release of tension, and Inu managed to raise his head enough to say, “What?”

Iruka laughed again, and dropped down onto his back. He ignored the fact he had Inu’s come cooling on his lower back, which was now sticking to the bruised grass and making his skin itch. “Did you actually just mark me?” he asked in an incredulous tone.

“Of course,” Inu replied, waving a hand languidly. “That’s what dogs do.”

“Fine.”

“Fine?” Inu raised himself on one elbow and leaned over Iruka.

“I’m going to hold you to everything you said just now.” Iruka reached out a hand and stroked Inu’s jaw, feeling the smooth cloth against his fingertips. “Every filthy word you said.”

“Mmm.” Inu sounded pleased. “So what’s the tanto blade about?”

Iruka sighed heavily. “Well, this is going to kill the afterglow.”

Inu sat upright, tension creeping into his body. “Kurohyou?”

Iruka pulled up his pants, grimacing at the cool wet sensation against his lower back. He stood upright and watched as Inu did the same, zipping up his ANBU pants and pulling his shirt down. “I came up here to find you earlier, but I had no idea we’d end up – “

“Kurohyou.” Inu paused, as if weighing his words carefully. “Whatever this is about, whatever my reaction, know that I enjoyed this. That I want to do this again.”

Iruka nodded. He bent down and retrieved the tanto; it felt heavy in his hand. He turned to Inu and held the blade out, palms up, offering it.

“This is not a gift, is it?” All sense of playfulness was gone from Inu’s voice.

“Not from me, no. I found this in the lair, in the library. It’s a parting shot from Tatsu, clearly meant for you.”

Inu reached out and wrapped his hand around the blade. Iruka winced, watched as Inu tightened his fist around it, as Inu’s blood seeped from between his fingers where the blade had sliced into his skin. Iruka could feel the rage radiating from Inu, the killing intent broadcasting loud and clear.

Three ANBU appeared almost immediately, forming point around them both. One of them, wearing a boar mask, stepped forward. “Inu-san, Kurohyou-san. I apologize; when we picked up on the killing intent we thought it might be intruders.”

“It’s fine, Inoshishi,” Iruka replied. “Thank you for checking.”

“Do you require assistance?” Inoshishi asked. He was clearly puzzled; unsure how to interpret the situation.

Iruka shook his head. “We’ll be leaving shortly. Do you wish us to report in?”

“No, Kurohyou-san. If everything is okay, we will leave you to it.” Inoshishi stared at Inu, obviously noticing the blood and the blade, but refrained from saying anything. An ANBU’s private business was just that – private – especially since there was a hunter-nin involved. All three ANBU bowed, and disappeared as quickly as they had come.

“Inu?” Iruka took a step forward, hesitant at first. Inu let out a deep sigh, and the killing intent receded to a manageable level before dropping away completely. Iruka wasn’t fooled; Inu’s body was rigid with tension, and he was keeping himself in check with difficulty. “Do you want me to take the tanto back?”

“No.” Inu spoke with difficulty, as if it required effort.

“Your hand is bleeding.”

Inu looked down, perhaps only now realizing that he was clenching the exposed blade enough to wound. He relaxed his fingers, moving the tanto to his other hand. Iruka watched with alarm as the blood welled on Inu’s palm, dripping to the ground. “We should get you to the hospital; we can discuss this further once that’s been looked at.”

Inu nodded. “I will kill her, Kurohyou. You have my word on this.”

The fact that Inu was agreeing to go to the hospital was enough for Iruka. He stepped close to Inu, and they transported together, leaving a flutter of whirling leaves drifting in the breeze.

 


	5. Chapter 5

Iruka stood beside Neko’s bed in the hospital, watching silently. The ANBU in charge of the medical division had told Iruka that Neko was healing, but not to disturb him as sleep was, right now, the best remedy. They had done what they could, stabilized him, but the rest would take time.

Iruka heard the door slide open and looked up, surprised to see Inu so soon. “Everything all right?”

Inu nodded and came to stand next to Iruka. He held up his hand, which was bandaged to the wrist. “They’ve healed most of it; no permanent damage from the blade. I should be fine in a couple of days.”

“No using weapons until then?”

“No. How is he?”

Iruka looked back at Neko. “Healing slowly. I’m told it will just take time.”

“Good. I would hate to lose another member of my team.”

Inu’s words reminded Iruka of after the battle and, for a moment, he could almost taste the rock dust that hung in the air, and blood. “Let’s go for a walk; we need to finish this conversation. We should let Neko rest.”

They walked down the corridor, out into the ANBU compound. This early in the morning there were very few people around, but the facility was not empty. The ANBU were always on watch over Konoha.

Inu seemed to be content to not talk for a moment, walking beside Iruka. They passed through an archway and out onto the promontory just above the carved Hokage heads. Here, they could look down on the village far below.

“What else did you find in the library, apart from Tatsu’s weapon?” Inu made to put both hands in his pockets, and then realized he was wearing the bandage. He let that hand dangle by his side, a strangely casual gesture for someone in ANBU gear, Iruka thought.

“The blade was imbedded in a scroll, pinned to the table, and wired to blow if touched. There was an exploding tag under the scroll.”

“Nasty.”

“That’s what I thought. I spent precious time trying to diffuse it before I realized it wasn’t even charged.”

Inu stared out over the village, seemingly lost to thought, but Iruka knew better. “The scroll was a copy jutsu, probably from Lightning judging by the design around the perimeter. I’ve been thinking about it though, and it occurs to me that Tatsu wouldn’t be the type of person to leave you a message and leave it at that.”

Inu turned to Iruka. “You think there’s another layer of code, or a clue, embedded in that scroll.”

Iruka smiled behind the mask. “I knew you’d be one step ahead of me, Inu.”

“Where’s the scroll now?”

“I gave it to Ibiki before I realized its importance. It’s with all the other information I gave him from the library before I blew it sky high.”

“We need to pay Ibiki a visit then.”

“Agreed.” Iruka stretched. He was glad to see that Inu appeared to have regained some of his equilibrium. Iruka wasn’t fooled, however. He knew Inu would go to the ends of the earth to even the score with Tatsu, and that he was simply biding his time. “I need to shower first. I’m not requesting an audience with Morino Ibiki while I have your dried come flaking off my back and ass.”

Inu snorted. “Classy, but valid. I’ll request a meeting with Ibiki and send you a note.”

“The ANBU messenger hawks know where to find me.”

Inu looked around and stepped into Iruka’s personal space, close enough that Iruka could feel his body heat in the chill dawn air. He brushed his good hand down Iruka’s arm, a lingering caress that sent goosebumps across Iruka’s skin. “I meant what I said earlier. I enjoyed this. I fully intend to do it again if you’ll let me.”

Iruka returned the caress, content to leave it at that, knowing that Inu would understand. Saying ‘me too’ as an answer didn’t carry nearly enough emotional weight and they both knew it.

Iruka stepped back, reluctant to let the connection between them fade. He made hand seals and transported home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“This Rock nin, Imari, is one tough son of a bitch.”

Ibiki’s conversational openings often left a lot to be desired, Iruka thought. Ibiki was pacing again, although this time in front of the small cell allocated to the Rock nin. Imari Hiru sat at the small metal desk, and if it had not been days since the last time Iruka had seen him, he might have doubted any time had passed at all. The prisoner looked a little haggard, maybe a bit thinner, but he still wore a determined look on his face, like he knew they were watching him.

“I thought you said you’d broken him.” Inu stood to attention, seemingly ignoring the glare Ibiki directed at him.

“I said I’d _almost_ broken him,” Ibiki barked. “Rock nin are a tough bunch, as unyielding as the earth from which they come. Any order issued from their Kage is treated as law, never questioned. Their loyalty is commendable, but bloody irritating.”

“They have a history of working to undermine Konoha and the other countries,” Iruka mused. “What are they up to this time, I wonder?”

“They were working with a Mist nin,” Inu said. “S-Ranked.”

“Why didn’t you mention this before?” Ibiki looked furious. “The last time shit hit the fan, Mist and Rock tried to take down Suna, infiltrating from the inside. They very nearly succeeded.” Ibiki continued to glare, switching his gaze between Iruka and Inu. “So, what do you two ladies want with my valuable time? You’d better have a good reason for pulling me away from this interrogation or I will gut you both.”

Iruka took the threat in stride; it was par for the course when Ibiki felt his time was being wasted. “I believe that the copy jutsu scroll I found in the library holds further clues to the mission. It is my belief that Tatsu has possibly left a message, hidden within. I would like to examine it further, with your permission.”

Ibiki tutted. “ _Tatsu_. Inu, you believe this may be true?”

“I do.” Inu had returned to monosyllabic answers, his usual defense against Ibiki when he was in a foul mood.

There was the distant sound of a metal chair overturning and they all turned toward the cell window. Iruka watched in horrified fascination as Imari directed a leer at the glass, raised his hand, and brought his forearm down with a crash on the metal table. Iruka flinched; the sound of bone breaking and shattering was unmistakable. Imari roared, maybe in pain, maybe in defiance and his body began to shake. Froth appeared at the corners of his mouth, and he was still grinning when he collapsed to the floor.

“ _Shit_. Go reclaim your fucking scroll from Archives.” Ibiki strode to the window before he turned around. “Medic!!” he bawled at the top of his lungs, before flinging the door to the cell open and rushing in.

Iruka watched as two medics rushed in, one holding a large needle. The other restrained the prisoner, along with Ibiki, while the first pushed the needle none too gently into Imari’s neck. Imari immediately went limp.

“What the fuck?” Iruka managed.

Inu appeared unperturbed. “Cyanide capsule, buried between the bones of the forearm. Well hidden from most medical scans, but to use it, you have to break the capsule, which meant he needed to break his arm to trigger it. I’m surprised; I didn’t think he’d have that kind of balls.”

“Shit.”

Inu elbowed Iruka, getting his attention. “Let’s go get this scroll while Ibiki is busy. He’s given us permission; we should examine it while we can. I doubt there’s much we can do here.”

Iruka nodded; suddenly glad to be getting the hell out of the cells. Too much pointless violence made him feel a little sick to his stomach.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ANBU Archives was no less depressing than the prisoner cell block. Grey walls, utilitarian furniture, and rows upon rows of scroll- and book-cases. Iruka wondered how anyone managed to work here on a daily basis without going crazy, but judging by the look of distain on the archive staff faces, it took a special kind of person to survive the experience. Iruka had been here before; if he was called on a mission and didn’t have any leads to go on, he’d come here, hoping to find a snippet of information on his quarry. All Iruka’s targets were Konoha missing-nin, and once they were tagged as missing, their files were sent here, ostensibly locked in case anyone got curious. Iruka had a high security clearance, and he supposed Inu had the same.

They waited in silence while a messenger bird was sent to Ibiki for confirmation, neither offering any comment when the bird returned almost immediately. The sour look on the archivist’s face was enough to guess what kind of commentary Ibiki had sent back with the message, and it was a matter of minutes before they were directed to the correct case to pull the scroll.

It looked exactly as Iruka remembered; a long roll of parchment, the edges outlined in a complicated design of blue-inked clouds, the symbol for _duplicate_ in the center. “Elegant,” Inu finally said. “Deceptively simple, too.”

“Mmm,” Iruka agreed, his mind rapidly dissecting the information on the scroll. It was much easier to concentrate now that he wasn’t afraid it was going to explode in his face. “What do we know about Tatsu?”

Inu stiffened next to Iruka. “Why do you want to know?”

Iruka glanced around. “Look, let’s not stand here in the aisle where anyone can overhear. Let’s use one of the research rooms off of the main area.” Iruka took the scroll and they found a spare room, shutting the door. The research rooms were less utilitarian, almost homey in comparison, since a lot of researchers like to pull all-nighters. Each room had a desk, and a couch with a low table in front, of a good size for laying out multiple scrolls and books during long research sessions. Iruka sunk into the right side of the well-used couch, remembering the odd time he’d napped on one of these. They were pretty damn comfy.

Inu perched on the edge of the other arm, clearly not at ease discussing his team mate.

“Inu, we need to discuss Tatsu. This is not case closed; she must have had a reason for doing what she did.”

“You give her too much credit, Kurohyou. She’s simply a traitor, nothing more or less. And a murderous bitch.”

Iruka took a deep breath. “Things will go a lot quicker if you can tell me what you know. It might have some bearing on the scroll.” He turned in his seat, putting one bent leg on the seat cushion and leaning back into corner of the couch. After a few moments of silence, Iruka said, “I could go and pull her file, find out what I need to that way, although I often find the information quite dry. It’s much more helpful to talk to someone who knows my quarry, as personal experience is more valuable than dates and numbers on a scroll.”

Inu’s head snapped around to face Iruka. The black sockets of his mask seemed to bore into Iruka’s soul; an unsettling experience. “You have the clearance to pull ANBU files?”

Iruka decided to ignore the myriad layers behind that comment and, instead, answered the question directly. “I have the authority to pull _any_ file on a missing-nin, no matter their former rank. I wouldn’t worry about keeping your identity secret, Inu; I’m not a twelve-year old blushing genin. I’m very much looking forward to you revealing your identity when you feel you want to, and not before.”

Inu cocked his head, clearly considering Iruka’s words. “And if I asked you to reveal yours?”

Iruka laughed but it sounded a little hollow. “My apologies, Inu. A member of the _Oinin Butai_ can never reveal his identity, even should he desire to. I must remain anonymous, simply because _anyone_ can become a missing-nin, as evidenced by Tatsu.”

“The Undertaker Squad is aptly named then,” drawled Inu. “You take your secrets to the grave.”

“Quite.”

The silence stretched for a long moment, and then Inu seemed to reach some kind of internal decision. He let out a deep breath, and slid off the arm of the couch onto the cushions. “Fine, let’s get started.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“How long has Tatsu been in ANBU?”

“I was given to understand it was about three years. Before she joined my team, she was with another that disbanded. Three years is a long time for an ANBU, as you know.” Once Inu started talking, he seemed more at ease with the conversation regarding his former subordinate. “She’s been on my team long enough to mesh with Neko, to adapt to the way we do things, to anticipate our actions and react accordingly. It usually takes six months to a year to be able to work together successfully like that.”

“Unfortunately I’ve never had the opportunity,” Iruka replied.

“You’ve never worked as an ANBU within a squad?” Inu cocked his head to the side, clearly considering Iruka in a new light. “So you went straight from jounin to being a hunter-nin?” he mused. “Jounin tend to work alone, unless they are teaching genin. But surely as a chuunin you captained teams?”

“Quite frequently.” Iruka was not about to tell Inu he’d never been a jounin – what made his cover as a hunter-nin so successful was that he hid a lot of his talent from the village at large. Plus, he wasn’t really lying; he _did_ captain teams as a chuunin. Time to get away from a dangerous topic of conversation, he thought. “So Tatsu meshed well with the squad?”

Inu sighed. He rested his elbow on the arm of the couch. “Yes. She was always very clever, very resourceful. Good at getting out of a sticky situation; good traits to have if you are an ANBU. She’s a water and lightning user, as you’ve seen, and can also use Earth Release. Never any good with genjutsu if I remember correctly; she flat out refused to use it. That’s more my area of expertise.”

“Really?” Iruka leaned forward. “We should compare notes. I use Yin Release when I have to. Maybe you could teach me some interesting tricks.”

“Always, Kurohyou,” Inu replied, voice laced with suggestion.

“Inu…” Iruka warned. “Stay on subject, play later.”

“Is that a promise?”

Inu seemed a lot more relaxed now, playful, and as much as Iruka wanted to, they needed to get a handle on things with the scroll. _Later_ , he vowed. “So was Tatsu a jounin before she was ANBU?”

“Of course,” Inu replied, like it was impossible to do things any other way. “Worked her way up through the ranks. She was a good chuunin, a decent jounin from what I understood. Of course I don’t have access to the records, so you could probably tell me the finer points of her career.”

“I’m just trying to get an… _idea_ … of who she was, what she is. Sometimes even the smallest things leave telling clues, do you understand?”

“Very much so,” Inu agreed. “But I only know her as a colleague – before she pulled off that mask and threw it to the ground, I had no idea what she looked like. Sometimes it’s shocking to put a face to a codename. Neko is the only other ANBU I’d recognize without the mask on.”

Iruka bit his lip, thinking. “Maybe we are only going to be able to glean information through her records, since you say her previous team are disbanded. I’ll put in a request to have her records pulled. I don’t like dealing with enigmas.”

Inu nodded. “For now, let’s see what we can do about this damn scroll.”

“So, if you were going to hide a message in a scroll, and you were in a rush, what would you do?” Iruka mused, leaning over the table and staring at the scroll. He ran his gloved fingertips across the rough parchment, admiring the penmanship of its author; each character composed of strong, bold strokes that spoke of an organized, careful mind.

Inu considered Iruka’s question, humming to himself. “Creating a code from scratch would be out of the question, because if you have a code you also need a key to solve it, and that’s a complicated thing to generate on the spot. Plus, if it’s a message meant for us, she wants us to be able to crack it.” He paused. “So her message is not hidden within the original lettering, it’s going to be elsewhere on the scroll.”

“If I was going to hide information and I wasn’t sure if it would fall into the wrong hands, I’d use invisible ink,” Iruka said. “I’ve done it before on a mission the odd time I wasn’t sure if I was going to get out alive.”

“Smart. But if that’s the case, we need to know what kind of ink she used or we might destroy our only evidence.”

Iruka leaned back on the couch and stretched, stifling a yawn. Sleep was becoming an optional thing, and he didn’t think he’d ever get used to that. He was used to his teacher’s schedule; on time and relatively stable, without any nasty surprises. “So, she’s in the field; she has access to limited items to create ink with, so we can disregard anything that requires a complex chemical formula to make.”

Inu nodded. “So revealing the information won’t work with black light, because that is complicated procedure. What about using heat on the scroll?”

Iruka gave Inu a hard stare and then grinned. “I like it; it’s simple. Heat works on compounds created by things like diluted honey water or lemon. Apply a heat source and it turns brown.”

“It’s likely that, with a base that size, they’d at least have a kitchen, and a storehouse. Either honey or lemon would probably be available at short notice.”

“I’ll get a candle and we can find out,” Iruka said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I’m pretty sure the head archivist hates me,” Iruka said conversationally, shutting the door behind him. He was carrying a large white pillar candle and a box of matches.

“Yes, but, as a desk-nin, she’s not going to fuck with a member of the _Oinin Butai_ ,” Inu observed.

“True. Easier to leave that to you.”

Inu laughed. He took the candle from Iruka and lit it, placing it on the table and watching as Iruka took a seat next to him.

“Wait.” Iruka held out a hand. “If we destroy this scroll, Ibiki is going to have a shit fit. We need to get it transcribed first.”

“I can copy it later.” Inu pulled the scroll toward him. “I have a photographic memory; it won’t be a problem.”

“You’re sure? We can’t take any chances here.”

“Totally sure. Are you ready?”

Iruka took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay, let’s do this.”

Inu unrolled the scroll until the middle was exposed, the part with the symbol for ‘duplicate’. He lowered it carefully toward the flame, until it was just a few inches away. Iruka held his breath, but nothing changed. “Unroll a different part and try again.”

Inu rolled the scroll to the left and repeated the process. Nothing. “This doesn’t make sense,” Iruka said. “I was sure she’d done this for a reason.”

“Maybe she was just messing with your head, like with the exploding tag. That wasn’t primed, remember?”

“Damn it.” Iruka flopped back onto the couch and watched as Inu rolled the scroll back up. “Stop for a second.”

“Huh?”

“Look there, on the outside paper.”

Inu tilted the scroll as requested and faint brown writing could be seen, not on the inside where Iruka had expected, but on the outside. “She’s written on the cover paper, because there’s too much writing on the inside and it wouldn’t be clear.”

Inu moved the scroll and subjected more of it to the heat from the candle. Then he flipped the scroll over to reveal the writing. “It’s a list of animals,” he deadpanned.

Iruka wanted to laugh, but refrained from doing so. “Give that here.” Much to his annoyance, it _was_ a list of animals: lizard, coyote, hyena, fox, eagle, vulture, and raven.

“Been to the zoo lately?” Inu drawled, letting just a hint of humour colour his voice.

“I’m going to kill you,” Iruka muttered. “What if it’s a list of codenames, like our ANBU names?”

“What makes you think that?” Inu appeared to have relinquished all curiosity in the game now.

Iruka glanced sideways at Inu. “Our codenames are all based on animals, mythical and real, said to be found in and around Fire Country. This is a list of animals usually found in desert, or barren, desolate areas like Rock Country. They’re also all predators.”

“I’m listening.” Inu appeared to be more interested suddenly and he turned to Iruka. “Go on, reason it out.”

“Look at the animal named at the very top. It’s a lizard - _Tokage_. But what if it’s not a lizard but a name: _Lizard_. A lizard is simply a dragon without wings.”

Inu was silent. Iruka could tell by his body language that he was thinking through many connotations, puzzling things out, his mind working quickly. “And Tatsu – _Dragon_ – has nothing to lose by revealing herself as Tokage, because we already know who she is and that she is working for Rock.”

Iruka nodded. “And she’s proud of herself for fooling Konoha, fooling us. It’s not a great stretch to think she’d put her name first, at the top of the list. Her name is a calling card, a key to the code. These are Rock ANBU operative codenames.”

“But why would she throw us six Rock ANBU, seven if you count her own?” Inu said. “There must be more to this scroll.” Inu rolled the scroll in the other direction and began applying heat to it, occasionally turning it over to check the progress.

“Is that a map?” Iruka leaned closer to get a better look.

“Hmm.” Inu was concentrating, trying not to burn the scroll. “Okay, done; there’s nothing else here.”

“It’s a map of the eastern half of the continent,” Iruka said. “There’s part of Fire Country, Hot Springs, Lightning and Mist.”

“There’s also a hole where she stabbed the tanto blade through the scroll,” Inu observed. “Right where Uzushio was, before it fell. She’s even drawn a large whirlpool symbol, like on the back of our chuunin and jounin jackets. For some reason, she wants us curious enough to go there and take a look.”

Iruka felt like someone had thrown ice water over him; a horrid, trickling sensation down his spine. “What the hell is in Uzushio, other than the ruins of a peaceful land destroyed by other countries’ greed?”

Inu paused, clearly thinking. “ _Shit_ ,” he said and began rolling the scroll up, securing it with a cord. “We need to see the Hokage, now.”

“Why?” Iruka got to his feet, starting to follow Inu, but he was already moving toward the door. “Inu, what is going on?”

Inu stopped so abruptly that Iruka nearly went face first into his chest. “Because Tatsu and her team went to Uzushio about a year ago on a mission, and the team went dark. Something happened there, Kurohyou, I can feel it in my gut. Something bad for Konoha.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka and Inu transported directly into the Godaime’s office, appearing suddenly and immediately dropping to one knee in a low bow. A number of things happened simultaneously; an alarm went off, three ANBU appeared to flank them both with katana drawn, Shizune dropped Tonton, and Tsunade was woken from a nap she absolutely _wasn’t_ taking.

Everyone remained frozen in place while the alarm continued to sound. Tonton made a squealing noise, sat down, lifted a leg and began to wash her backside.

“Someone switch that damn alarm off!” Tsunade shouted. “And you two had better have a good reason for appearing in my office like this!” The alarm gave a halfhearted final bleat before cutting out. Tsunade leaned back in her chair and laced her hands together. “Well? Stand up, both of you. I refuse to hold a conversation with the top of your heads. This had better be good.”

Iruka bowed. “Godaime-sama, we need to speak with you regarding a matter of urgency.”

Tsunade’s golden eyes bored into Iruka’s. She flicked her gaze to Inu, who stood rigid, still holding the scroll. “You can leave us,” she said to the three ANBU, who nodded and flickered out without a word.

“My apologies, but I must ask Shizune-san to leave also.”

Shizune looked startled, but didn’t move. “Kurohyou, I’m rapidly losing patience here,” Tsunade ground out.

“This concerns Konoha’s security, at its deepest levels.” Inu’s deep baritone cut through the room. It was a voice you paid attention to; a voice whose warning you heeded.

Tsunade continued to stare at Inu before sighing deeply. She waved her hand toward the door. “Shizune, please wait outside.”

“Of course.” Shizune bowed, offered both Kurohyou and Inu a nod and left, calling to Tonton to follow her.

Once the door was shut, Inu said, “Maybe you should contact Ibiki as well, Godaime-sama.”

Minutes passed in silence until Ibiki appeared, showing up the normal way; through the door, rather than directly into the space as they had. “Godaime-sama, Inu, Kurohyou.”

“Everyone’s here,” Tsunade barked. “Get on with it.”

“Kurohyou, can you put up one of your barriers?” Inu asked. “One with a sound dampener.”

“I can, with your permission, Godaime-sama?”

Tsunade nodded. Iruka began to form hand seals, adding an extra sign to block sound so that they would not be overheard. He channeled chakra and slapped his hand on the wooden floorboards. Spidery script shot out in all directions from his palm, covering the floor and then the walls. Around them, a silvery barrier began to form, creating a dome that, when finished, just brushed the ceiling.

Ibiki gazed at the ceiling as the barrier finished forming and then took a step forward, coming to rest with his hands behind his back. “I hope there’s a good reason for all this extra security? Are you worried about eavesdroppers? Because I can assure you, it would be very difficult to listen in on anything in this office. There are many wards in place, designed to prevent that.”

“Unfortunately, we can’t trust anybody at this moment,” Inu warned.

“Explain.” Tsunade looked intently at both Inu and Iruka.

Iruka stepped forward. “Godaime-sama, it seems Tatsu has left us a message within the copy jutsu scroll I took from the enemy base.”

“Our traitor ANBU?”

Ibiki winced and Iruka knew that comment was going to come back later and probably bite him in the ass. “Yes, Godaime-sama. She has left us a list of Rock ANBU operatives. Seven in total.”

Inu held out the scroll, and Ibiki placed it on the desk and unwound it, using a number of scroll weights to hold it in place and stop it from rolling up. “Explain how you think this constitutes a list of ANBU operatives, Kurohyou.”

Iruka knew he should have expected this from the head of T & I. You didn’t just appear in the Hokage’s office and not expect to get grilled for information. Iruka decided to cut to the chase. “The key to the code is right at the top. It’s her Rock codename – Tokage.”

Ibiki’s head shot up and he fixed Iruka with a piercing glare. Then he grinned. “ _Lizard_. It’s fitting.” He glanced back at the scroll. “And these are all animals found in Rock or its environs. Clever. What’s the map for?”

“She pinned the scroll to the table with the tanto. It also marks Uzushio on the map quite clearly. She obviously wants us to go there for some reason.” Inu’s voice was flat, matter-of-fact in tone, like he was reciting multiplication tables. Iruka quite thought he could listen to Inu count sheep and it would still sound like porn.

“I don’t like being played by anyone, especially traitors to Konoha, Inu.” Tsunade sounded annoyed. She leaned forward and rested her chin on her folded hands.

“With respect, Godaime-sama, there is a link to Tatsu and Uzushio.”

“Go on.”

“Tatsu and a three-man team were dispatched to Uzushio just over two years ago, with express orders to find the remains of the Uzumaki clan temple and see if there were any writings on how to reinforce an Eight Trigram Seal.”

Iruka let a shocked breath escape, unable to keep it in. “Naruto’s seal was failing?”

“Yes.” Ibiki shifted, drawing Iruka’s attention to himself. “Hatake Kakashi noted it in one of his mission reports at the time, and we were concerned enough to try to find a way to stabilize it. As of right now, Uzumaki Naruto’s seal is still degrading. Jiraiya managed to boost the existing seal to a certain degree, but it will have to do for now.”

Iruka fought not to telegraph the concern he felt for his favourite student. He clenched his fists behind his back and remained ramrod straight, staring just over Tsunade’s shoulder. In the distance, he could see the gates of Konoha, and one of the giant Torii gates that marked the edge of the village. He focused on his heart rate, breathing deeply and evenly until he felt his equilibrium return.

“The fact of the matter is that Tatsu’s team went dark for over a week,” Inu continued, seemingly unware of Iruka’s inner struggle. “When they returned, one team member was missing, listed as killed in action, and they had found nothing regarding the Eight Trigram Seal.”

“This is all in the mission logs, Inu,” Ibiki barked impatiently.

“Agreed. However, what is not listed is what happened after that mission. Both of Tatsu’s teammates retired to prominent positions within Konoha’s administration. I’m very curious as to what happened to Tatsu’s team during the period they were unaccounted for in Uzushio.”

“You think Rock got to them, just like they did Tatsu.” Ibiki stated.

“I think it’s likely.”

Tsunade sat up and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Let me get this straight, Inu. You believe that two ANBU, with a distinguished service record, are spying for Rock right under our noses?”

“I do.”

The barrier suddenly made sense to Iruka. If there were spies in prominent positions, they could be anywhere. The Hokage’s office was supposed to be inviolate, but if a spy was close, the barrier would essentially stop anyone from listening in. It would also stop anyone attempting an assassination, should they feel their cover had been blown.

“Fuck.” Ibiki looked livid. “Apologies, Godaime-sama.”

“Accepted,” Tsunade snapped.

“Who has the records of that mission?” Ibiki said.

“I bought them with me, Ibiki-san, since I have clearance to access to the archives.” Iruka held out the scroll, which Ibiki took. “There were three team members plus Tatsu: Nezumi, Ookami and Saru. Saru is listed as KIA and did not return home; her body was never recovered. As mentioned, both Nezumi and Ookami retired shortly after the mission ended.”

Ibiki looked thoughtful. “Nezumi – he’s currently working for our Cryptanalysis Team under Mikoto. Ookami is based out of the missions office here in the Academy complex.”

Tsunade made a noise that might have been a grunt, it was hard to tell. “So we’ve got a potential spy who’s working specifically to code and decode all our top secret messages, and another working in my office at the mission desk, with access to all information regarding our top priority A- and S-Ranked missions. Is this what you are telling me?”

Inu cleared his throat. “Yes, Godaime-sama, you are correct. Unfortunately, I have to point out there are seven names on the list that Tatsu provided.”

“Damn it!” Tsunade stood up and brought a fist down on the desk. The resulting noise was ear-shattering, and bits of wood flew in all directions as the desk disintegrated beneath her incredible strength. To everyone’s credit, Iruka thought, nobody moved a muscle or flinched. She leveled a clenched fist at Iruka and Inu. “Kurohyou! You are hereby pulled off all other assignments until further notice.”

“Godaime-sama, I-“ Iruka began, thinking of his students.

Tsunade ignored Iruka’s protest. She kicked a piece of wood to the side and strode to the window. “Both you and Inu will go to Uzushio, pick up the trail of Tatsu’s team from the Uzumaki temple, and find out what the hell happened. I want to know who these other named individuals are, and if they are still in Konoha. You will only report to either myself or Ibiki, and you will not use the messenger hawks since that method is now compromised. Understood?”

“Yes, Godaime-same, but I must protest.” The room went silent. Iruka hoped he was never, ever subjected to the look Tsunade graced him with again. Iruka ploughed ahead regardless. “Hokage-sama, I am a hunter-nin: it is my duty to track Tatsu and bring her down. If more time passes, it will be almost impossible for me to pick up her trail. I should be going after her, not heading to Uzushio.”

“She’s probably already made it to Rock.” Ibiki stepped over a particularly large piece of wood from Tsunade’s desk and crossed his arms. “You are needed with Inu, in Uzushio. We need to know who these other six ANBU are – whether they are our operatives who have been coerced, or if they belong to Rock. You two are the only ANBU we can totally trust at this point in time.”

Iruka cleared his throat. “My apologies, Ibiki-san. I was out of line.”

Ibiki let out a hoarse laugh, devoid of humour. “Kurohyou, I don’t employ you because you are polite. I employ you because you are one of the best damn men I have.”

“Ibiki.” Tsunade leaned back against the windowsill. “While Kurohyou and Inu are away, I want you to contact a couple of our deep-cover operatives in Rock. See if they can locate Tatsu, and have them watch her movements. I want to know the minute she leaves Earth Country.” Tsunade smiled a wild, feral grin and nodded at Iruka. “Once she’s clear of Earth, Kurohyou, she’s all yours. Rock can’t complain we took down one of their spies if she’s… _disposed o_ f outside its borders.”

“Yes, Godaime-sama. That is very acceptable.” Iruka bowed, smiling to himself.

“Good.” Tsunade pushed away from the window. “Ibiki, have both Ookami and Nezumi brought in for questioning immediately. Keep it quiet – I don’t want anything to look out of the ordinary, especially if we do have other spies in the village.” She paused. “You have my permission to break Imari Hiru. I don’t care if he’s in a medical coma after that cyanide stunt. Wake him up, and use any means necessary to get me answers. Everyone, dismissed!”

Iruka and Inu bowed, and Iruka dropped the barrier jutsu, leaving Ibiki to further discussions with Tsunade. On the way out, they passed Shizune. “Is everything all right, Inu-san, Kurohyou-san?” she asked.

“Fine,” Inu said casually. “You might want to order the Godaime a new desk, though. I don’t think it’s repairable.”

Shizune let out a shriek and rushed through the door. “That was mean,” Iruka observed.

“I know.”

Iruka was sure Inu was smirking, but it was hard to tell behind that damn mask. One day, Iruka was going to remove it, he promised himself. It was something to look forward to, once this mess was sorted out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 


	6. Chapter 6

“Okay, here is last week’s homework: I’ve marked it all ready, so it’s one less thing for you to do.” Iruka placed the folder on the desk and turned to his substitute teacher, Kazue. “I’m sorry this is so last minute.”

Kazue nodded, seemingly unfazed. “Not to worry Iruka-sensei. We all get called away on missions.”

Iruka leaned one hip against his desk. “I know, but I’m not sure how long I may be gone.” He glanced around the room, taking final note of everything, make sure that everything was in its place. “I worry about my students, I suppose.”

Kazue let out a soft laugh. “We all do. Now you should go, or you will never leave.”

“You know me too well.” Iruka grinned. “Okay, I’m going. Oh, please keep an eye on Rei; she has trouble with forming basic seals and needs to practice.”

Iruka was interrupted by the sound of many small feet along the wooden floor of the hallway. “So much for getting a clean exit before the class arrives,” noted Kazue.

“Iruka-sensei!” A small girl with pink pigtails ran in, leading the pack, and slid to a halt before Iruka. “Iruka-sensei, before break, Kazue-sensei said you were going away on a mission. You won’t come back dead, will you?”

Iruka laughed, and reached out a hand and placed it on the girl’s head. “No, Rei-chan, I’ll try not to come back dead.” He knelt down in front of her, placing himself at her height, and was immediately crowded by the rest of the class. “Now, can you all remember what we talked about before? Everyone needs to listen to Kazue-sensei, and follow her rules like you would mine. Understood?”

Most of them nodded, but Rei looked solemn. “I want to come with you.”

Iruka fought not to laugh, and to keep his face serious. “I’m not going for long. In the meantime, I want you to all practice the hand signs for the _bunshin no jutsu_ and, when I come back, we’ll all try it together.”

“Yay!” A couple of the boys looked overly excited, and Iruka knew that Kazue was going to have her hands full with this class. Maybe not as much as Naruto, or more recently Konohamaru, but it was going to be close.

“All right then!” Iruka stood up and put his hands on his hips. “Break is over, time to learn! What do we say to someone who is leaving on a mission?” A boy with purple hair put his hand up hesitantly. “Yes, Tarou?”

“Iruka-sensei, we say ‘May the soles of your feet be firm’.”

“Good! Now I will see you all soon. Be good to Kazue-sensei.”

Iruka nodded to Kazue, raising an eyebrow and smiling. He walked toward the door, and had one hand on the handle when a small voice said, “Iruka-sensei, may the soles of your feet be firm.”

Iruka looked down to find that Rei had followed him to the door. “Thank you, Rei-chan.” It was all he could do to walk out the door and not look back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Iruka got home he stood in front of the mirror in the bedroom. In a way, he dreaded the change he would have to make from sensei to hunter-nin, but he could also feel a hot, tight ball of excitement in his stomach, because once he became Kurohyou, he would get to see Inu. He untied his forehead protector and placed it on the bed, then pulled on the elastic holding his hair in place and watched as it cascaded down to brush against his shoulders. He unzipped his chuunin jacket and pulled off his shirt, and the mesh armor he wore underneath, followed by the white bandages around his thigh. Then he opened the chest containing his ANBU gear, and pulled on the silky black top and arm warmers. Next came the red bandages associated with the hunter-nin, and then his grey vest and forearm guards. Finally, he drew up the cloth mask he wore to hide his scar and face, settling it in place.

A completely different person stood before him, staring back from the mirror, one gloved hand clasping a katana, the other a black porcelain mask. It always amazed Iruka what a change in uniform could do. He sighed, slipping the black bladed katana into the strap on his back, and then he fixed the porcelain mask over his face.

A killer stared back at him, silent and menacing – but just as much a part of him as the harmless looking sensei was.

It was time. Kurohyou had a mission to complete, and traitors to discover.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You’re late.” Inu was waiting at the edge of ANBU training ground six, at the top of the Hokage Mountain. He was leaning casually against a particularly large tree, and didn’t even flinch when Iruka dropped silently from above to the ground in front of him.

“Allow me to make it up to you later,” Iruka replied, letting a seductive edge creep into his voice. He stepped closer to Inu, resting one hand against the tree trunk, and leaned in until they were almost touching.

Inu straightened, losing the languid slouch, his body tightened with awareness. “Now that sounds promising, Kurohyou.”

“Doesn’t it? But I suppose it’ll have to wait.”

“You’re a tease.” Inu slid a hand along Iruka’s waist to the small of his back. He pulled Iruka closer until they were pressed against each other, and then he twisted, using his body weight to flip Iruka until his back was against the tree and their positions reversed. “Now, I remember a similar situation to this one a few weeks ago, except there was a much happier ending.”

Iruka let out a shuddering breath, but didn’t resist when Inu slipped a thigh between his. He wanted to give in so much, to melt into Inu’s touch, the sound of his voice, his scent. He was already half-hard and it wouldn’t be a stretch to let go altogether, to give in and take what he wanted. He heard Inu laugh softly and then he stepped backward, releasing Iruka. “Bastard,” Iruka grumbled.

“That’s for being late.”

“Fine.” Resigned to not getting what he wanted, Iruka followed as Inu began walking across the training grounds. “What’s the plan, since you are clearly not going to put out?”

Inu laughed, louder this time, and glanced across to Iruka. “We need to get across Hot Springs, and unnoticed. That should be fun.”

“We’re not going straight to the coast through Fire Country?”

Inu appeared to be deep in thought. “It’s tempting; might cut down on some time, but we’re skirting too close to the Port City. Too many people to accurately guess who’s a spy there and who’s getting paid to tip off anyone who might be hiding out in Uzushio. I want us to be a surprise, should anyone be there when we arrive.”

Iruka nodded. “No time like the present, then. Catch me if you can.” He sprang into the nearest tree and jumped, hearing Inu curse in the distance. Even though Inu was silent as he moved, Iruka knew exactly where he was; he could feel it almost like a physical pull, an invisible string. Inu was catching up fast, putting on a burst of speed through the trees to land next to Iruka, matching his pace as they moved through the branches. It was going to take about a day to reach the borders of Hot Springs, and most of another to make it through that Country to the coast. From there, they’d have to cross the distance over water to Uzushio, and avoid the maelstrom that gave Uzushio its name: The Land of Whirlpools.

They camped that night in the forest, making a small fire since it was relatively safe, as they were still with the borders of Fire Country. They split duties, taking a four-hour watch each, and then crossed into Hot Springs with the rising sun. Hot Springs was somewhere Iruka had always wanted to visit, as he’d heard they had quite a few onsen, most of them highly rated. So Iruka was surprised to find that most of it looked much the same as Fire Country, covered in large, dense forest. Since this was good for cover, Iruka really couldn’t complain.

Inu had been taking point, but dropped back after a while to keep pace with Iruka. “Can you keep going until we reach the coast?” he asked.

“Yes.” They were moving fast, but it wasn’t putting a strain on Iruka’s endurance. These past few weeks had been good for Iruka’s conditioning, and he could keep pace with Inu easily now. They passed a few miles in companionable silence, but Iruka could tell Inu was holding something back. “What is it?” He started to slow, but Inu shook his head and waved, as if to say never mind.

“I just wanted to ask you – I’m curious is all,” Inu began. “Why did you react so strongly when it became clear we were going to have to go to Uzushio?”

Iruka did slow then, sensing a difficult conversation ahead. “Ah,” Iruka laughed nervously. “You mean in the room in the Archives?”

“Yes. Your whole body tensed. I couldn’t see your face but I said something that was enough to make you uncomfortable.”

“The truth is my father was from Uzushio. It was destroyed about ten years before I was born, but I was given to understand that my father was a shinobi there, and that he came to Konoha with other refugees like him.”

“And he met your mother, and became a shinobi of Konoha, and the rest is history?” Inu asked.

Iruka relaxed a little, finding nothing but curiosity in Inu’s questions. “I suppose so,” he responded. “You know, I never really asked. You take your parent’s history for granted, and don’t ask specific questions about things which might be important, or might be interesting. And afterwards, it’s too late.” Iruka was _not_ going to talk about the night of the Kyuubi attack, not even if Inu wanted to discuss it. Some things were better left in the past.

Inu seemed to realize they were heading for a rocky subject and he pulled to a stop on a tree branch. Iruka landed next to him and dropped to one knee, glad for a brief rest. Inu sunk down with his back against the tree, pulling one knee up and resting an arm there casually. “So that’s why you are good with barrier seals then.”

“Yep. It’s inherited. Most of the children of people from Uzushio can use fuinjutsu to a certain degree. I happen to be better than most at it.”

Inu nodded. “That barrier seal you put up in the Hokage’s office was pretty impressive.” He cocked his head to one side. “So... does that make you long-lived? I heard most of the citizens of Uzushio lived unusually long lives.”

“I’ve never given it thought.” Iruka shifted, settling onto the branch and crossing his legs. “I can’t, of course, speak for my parents, as they were killed by the Kyuubi, and I’m not sure about my grandparents. I don’t even know what happened to them.”

Inu seemed to sense Iruka’s reluctance to speak about it further. “Ration bar?” He fished around in a pack, pulling one out.

“What flavor is it?”

Inu snorted. “It’s ration bar flavoured. Take it or leave it.”

“Leave it. I’ll eat later.” Iruka would eat the next time he was on watch. He couldn’t afford to let Inu see his face as it was against the regulations of the _Oinin Butai_. “What about your parents? Did you inherit any weird and wonderful gifts from them?”

Inu stilled, and seemed to be thinking things over. “I’m sorry,” Iruka said. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

“No, it’s okay.” Inu seemed to reach a decision. “My mother I never knew; I think she must have died when I was very young. My father… my father died when I was about eight as the result of a particularly trying mission. My father always said I was very like my mother; intelligent, a quick thinker, but I see a lot of my father in myself. Moreso than is probably healthy.”

Iruka bit his lip. He wanted to tell Inu it was okay; that they all had losses, they all had a past they couldn’t talk about, that he understood. He stared down at his feet, crossed at the ankle, and when he looked up, Inu was watching him intently, maybe waiting for a reaction. Instead, he reached out and brushed his hand across Inu’s, glove to glove, a gesture of understanding. Inu flipped his hand and squeezed gently before dropping it back into his side.

“Shall we get moving?” Iruka said eventually, breaking the silence. “We should aim to be at the coast by full dark.”

Inu stood and stretched his arms above his head. Whipcord muscles flexed against the fabric of his arm warmers, and a sliver of pale skin showed just above the waistband of his pants. Iruka oh-so-much wanted to reach out and touch, but the mission came first. “Cute,” Iruka said instead with a laugh, breaking the earlier tension.

“What? _Cute_? You’ll pay for that,” Inu muttered, seemingly content to play along.

“Promises, promises,” Iruka sing-songed, dropping down to a lower level and setting off again, with Inu in fast pursuit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I had no idea the coast of Hot Springs was mostly high cliffs,” Iruka said, dropping to the ground. He landed on rough pebbles and felt them slide under him, almost putting him off balance. He could feel the shape of them, even through the soles of his boots. Inu was crouched just ahead behind a large boulder, which at some point must have either washed up onto the beach or fallen from the top of the cliff, far above them. The sound of the surf was loud, and Iruka could hear seagulls, shrieking a mournful song above the wind.

“It’s not an ideal place to cross, but it will have to do,” Inu said. He turned, gesturing for Iruka to move next to him. Iruka crept forward, keeping low to avoid been seen by any potential witnesses. “We have a few minutes or so until sundown. That’s when we should cross. I want the sun behind us as we travel across the water; that way we should blend in with the shadows as we move, and might not be so visible or exposed.”

“Good plan.”

“We’ll be coming in from the northwest – it’s not the shortest route by far, which will work to our advantage.”

“Yes, they’ll expect anyone crossing to do so the short way, directly from Fire Country.”

Inu shifted and the pebbles beneath them made a rough knocking sound as they moved. “We should report in before we leave.” Inu flipped through a series of seals and slammed his hands down. “ _Kuchiyose no jutsu_!” Spidery writing spread out in a circle over the pebbles, and there was a small puff of smoke.

“Yo.” Pakkun sat there, watery eyes fixed on Inu. He glanced across to Iruka and raised a paw in greeting. “Kurohyou.”

Iruka waved. “Pakkun-san, good to see you.”

“Pakkun, I need you to deliver a message to Tsunade.” Iruka listened while Inu talked in low tones to Pakkun, explaining why they couldn’t use the messenger hawks. Pakkun nodded, like it was nothing new.

“What’s the message?”

“Tell Tsunade-sama we have reached the beaches at the tip of Hot Springs, and are crossing to Uzushio. Nothing suspicious to report so far. We’re going dark, no further communication until we reach Fire Country at the conclusion of the mission.”

Pakkun nodded. He glanced at Iruka, like he was about to say something. Instead he said to Inu, “You couldn’t have summoned me at the top of the cliff? Do you _see_ the size of my legs?”

Iruka snorted and Inu reached out and ruffled the hair between Pakkun’s ears. It was clearly a fond gesture and Pakkun growled. It seemed to be an oft-played game between them, maybe a tradition. Pakkun stared out across the ocean. “Don’t fall in the water,” he said, and trotted off, the pebbles making a _shhhing_ sound as he moved. After a few seconds he moved into the shadows, and was lost to Iruka’s view.

Inu moved closer to Iruka, until their shoulders were almost touching. “You good with moving across the water? It’s going to be choppy.”

“I’m good.” Iruka tried not to think about the deafening sound of rushing water, which he could hear even above the surf. This was the Land of Whirlpools, and the biggest of the lot was fairly close by; it was over half a mile wide according to some sources. Nobody had really come close enough and survived to tell the tale. One wrong move, if you got pulled under the water, you’d be in the current and most likely dragged into the maelstrom. Inu wasn’t questioning his abilities; he was making sure Iruka was aware what could happen if he made a misstep or hadn’t channeled chakra to his feet properly.

“Okay. Follow me.” Inu moved from behind the rock and kept low as he moved toward the waves on the beachhead. Without pausing, he walked across the water, turned to check on Iruka, and set off at a fast pace, moving between the incoming waves.

Iruka followed, glad when they moved over deeper water and out onto smoother tides, away from where the beach kept the waves rough and high. The waves were more gentle here, more predictable, and Iruka soon found a pace that suited this, running next to Inu, arms out behind him. Part of him wanted to laugh with the sheer joy of it, while part of his mind was ever conscious of the rushing currents beneath them and to their right, and beyond that, the deep, dark waters of the massive vortex than gave Uzushio its name.

Time passed; how long, Iruka wasn’t sure. With the sun setting just behind his right shoulder, he could make out the hulking line of hills that made up the shore of Uzushio, bathed in the last, fading light of the day. The village of Whirling Tides was not visible from this angle of approach, and Iruka was glad of that. He felt a reluctance being here and couldn’t place why exactly, as he only had his parent’s history to go on, and the stories that were fast fading into legend. To run toward it, to see the village on the horizon, that was more than he could of borne. He was grateful that they would have to come to it over land, gradually, and give him time to adjust to the sight of it.

Iruka’s boots splashed against the gentle waves that brushed the shores of Uzushio, and then they were on the beach and running over soft sand. Inu changed direction, arcing to the left gracefully and into the tree line that met the beach. No towering cliffs and pebbly beaches here; only a gentle slope and transition from beach to trees, allowing them to get under cover almost immediately. Inu stopped once they were a distance into the forest, flopping against a tree and letting out a sigh. Iruka did the same, impressed they’d made it this far without being spotted, if indeed there were enemy ninja keeping watch. Iruka bent over, hands on knees, and worked to normalize his breathing. He reckoned they’d been pushing a hard pace for over four hours, maybe five, across rough waters, using chakra constantly. That took a deep toll on a shinobi because, not only were you using chakra, you were having to regulate it, keeping it steady and smooth in order to stay on the surface of the water. That was okay for short periods, but it required a lot of skill to keep it up for as long as they had been.

“What now?” Iruka crouched down now he had his breath back, glad of a moment to rest. “Do we assume the island is crawling with enemy nin?”

Inu followed suit, crouching next to Iruka. “I think we have to assume so. Tatsu gave us no indication of the situation here: we simply don’t know if this is a live, occupied enemy site, or if this is another abandoned base. We don’t even know if Rock has a stronghold here.”

“I guess we’ll find out soon enough. We should do some reconnaissance.”

“Agreed, but first we rest. Both of us need to eat and replenish our chakra reserves, and then get some sleep. I’ll take first watch if you like.”

Iruka nodded. “I could use some sleep. Wake me in four hours and we’ll switch.”

It spoke volumes to Inu’s fatigue that he didn’t make a smart comment about Iruka’s choice of words, but just leapt into the trees and disappeared from sight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was noon by the time Iruka returned from his reconnaissance trip. Inu was waiting for him, having taken the southern end of the island as part of his survey. The island was only about fifteen miles long and five wide at the northern edge, tapering down to about three on the coast nearest Fire Country. “Anything to report?” Iruka asked.

“It seems fairly quiet. I noticed a couple of fishermen on the beachhead closest to Fire Country. Seems they’ve set up a small resting area which they probably use before heading back to the Port City. It’s not a permanent camp though, seasonal at best. Other than that, not much to report.”

Iruka nodded. “I’ve found the village of Whirling Tides, or what remains of it. It’s on the southern side of the island.” He pulled out a sheet of paper and a brush and began sketching. “It’s split in two by a large river, one that has its source up there –“ he gestured to their south-east, “and is nestled in a natural bowl that’s surrounded by steep hills. I saw nothing from a distance to indicate any sign of new settlement; the village is deserted. The bridges are destroyed, and there’s pretty much nothing over three stories high that remains standing.”

“We should head that way, then.” Inu stood up and stretched, something he seemed to do prior to any suspected fighting. “We can do further recon once we get closer.”

Iruka followed Inu through the tree canopy as they moved south, taking a direct line across the spine of the hills, keeping to cover through the forests that blanketed the island. Iruka wondered if the forests had been this dense in his father’s day, or if they had grown once the island had become abandoned. They reached the point that Iruka had been to earlier and dropped down, Inu leading them in a zigzag route that would be hard to trace if followed. The hills began to level out, until they were moving quickly over a vast flat expanse of wild grass, past the remains of what must have been a large house and outbuildings, complete with terraced gardens. _This must have been a beautiful dwelling once_ , Iruka thought _. I wonder who lived here?_

They moved back into more tree cover, away from the danger of being exposed, until they were on the edge of the village proper. Inu dropped down low behind the remains of a wall so they could survey the village up close. “I’m putting up a henge,” he said, “I suggest you do the same in case we are being observed.”

Iruka flashed through seals, and while, to his view, nothing changed, to anyone watching, it would have simply seemed that, suddenly, two new large rocks had appeared on the landscape. Iruka surveyed the scene before him. From a distance, he’d been able to see that the village was utterly destroyed. Up close, it was worse. Now, he was able to pick out different shattered buildings; from the shapes of some of them, he could guess what they might have been. Here, the remaining two stories of an apartment building, over to the left, the footings to what once was an impressive stone bridge. To his right, a set of round pillars, carved with a spiral design, and further on, what must have been a temple with a broken tori gate, the paint still a garish red amongst the sand-colored desolation of fractured buildings. “This is insane,” Iruka said, clenching his fist. “What could possibly be worth the destruction of an _entire_ village? To consider doing _this_ , simply because you feel threatened over something?”

Inu turned to Iruka and reached out a hand, offering a soothing caress to his arm. “When Uzumaki Mito sealed the Kyuubi inside herself, it reinforced to outsiders how dangerous fuinjutsu can be in a skilled user’s hand. If she could do this, what could an entire village of fuinjutsu users do?”

“That doesn’t make it right,” Iruka hissed. “This,” he gestured to the village, “is purposeful annihilation.”

“Yes, it is.” Inu’s agreement was enough to help Iruka regain his equilibrium. He stuffed his anger back inside, deep, ready for when he needed it. For now, he needed a clear head if they were to complete the mission. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Where do you think the Uzumaki temple is? It is going to be concealed like some of the clan meeting halls in Konoha, do you think?”

“I’m not sure but, from what I understood, it should be over to the northwest of here. Nobody ever mentioned it was secret.”

“Across the river, then?”

“Unfortunately.” Inu shifted until he had a clear line of sight of the remains of the bridge. “We shouldn’t cross here, it’s too open. Let’s move back into the trees and skirt around further upstream where it’s not so wide. Maybe we can find a smaller, intact bridge to use as cover.”

“For a moment I’d thought you’d gone insane and were going to suggest actually crossing the bridge.”

Inu snorted. “I don’t fancy becoming a shuriken pincushion today.”

“Me either. Let’s move out.” Iruka backed up, dropping the henge at the last minute and racing into the trees, leaping into the branches. He could feel Inu behind him, running silently as usual, a comfortable presence at his back.

“Stop here.” Inu’s commanding voice carried from behind Iruka and he slowed, stopping on the next branch and facing the village. “I think that’s where we need to be.”

In the distance, but just visible, was a dilapidated looking round building with a domed roof. It was nestled in the crook of three hills, on the edge of the village. Iruka could make out the pillars that held up the roof, and the walls were painted with faded symbols that were only just recognizable as belonging to the Uzumaki clan. Part of the roof had fallen, and he watched as a flock of birds took flight, squawking loudly. “Let’s get across the river while we can,” Iruka suggested, and Inu nodded.

They moved down to the shore, staying in cover as much as possible, until they reached a small bridge which had fallen, intact, into the water. It was a good place to cross, with the remains keeping them hidden, although Iruka didn’t like the way the rushing river swirled around the deck of the bridge, creating dangerous looking undertows and eddies.

“I think we can risk going across the water, rather than through it,” Inu said, looking downstream. “I see no sign of lookouts or the enemy. If they are in the village, they’re elsewhere.”

“Agreed. I don’t fancy getting wet, either,” Iruka replied. “Let’s go.” He splashed out onto the water, getting a feel for the current, and then hunkered down, running lightly across the surface. The river wasn’t wide here, and it took under thirty seconds for Iruka to cross, with Inu hard on his heels. They kept running, staying to the shadows, letting the remains of alleyways and streets keep them concealed until they reached the temple. Iruka pulled out a kunai as he ran, flipping it in his hand and taking out a second just in case. He moved quickly from cover to cover, making it to the stone steps and then up and inside the temple, where he skidded to a halt. Inu appeared moments later, similarly armed, and both stood there, senses alert, searching the shadows for any sign of attack. After a few moments, Iruka relaxed, dropping his hands to his sides, flipping the kunai and putting them away.

“A bit disappointing,” Iruka said conversationally. “I was spoiling for a fight.”

“Hmm,” Inu agreed. “If Rock is here, they are not here for anything to do with Naruto.” He began walking through the room toward another door, which hung on one hinge. “Let’s take a look in here.”

Iruka followed, stepping carefully over a ceiling beam which had fallen. The sight that greeted him through the doors was one he didn’t think he’d ever forget. The noonday sunlight streamed through the hole in the ceiling, illuminating the far reaches of the room, which was circular, interspersed with pillars that were carved with the Uzumaki spiral. The other side of the room was cast in shadow, creating a dichotomy of light that was strangely soothing. The sound of running water drew his attention and he stepped further into the empty space, noticing for the first time a carved channel in the floor. He followed it with his eyes, which widened further once he realized what he was seeing. The channel flowed with fast moving water, which created a soft bubbling sound as it wound around in a huge arc that took up the entire middle of the floor. It spiraled inward, each turn of the spiral dropping down in a graceful downhill flow, until the water at the middle bubbled musically before disappearing through a hole in the center. The entire thing was a living, moving representation of the Uzumaki spiral, and it was breathtaking. Iruka was stunned by its complicated simplicity.

Inu was more vocal: “Holy shit, that’s impressive.”

Iruka laughed, feeling some of the tension of the day’s activities dissipate. “You are master of the understatement; you know that?”

“I have been told that before.” Inu sheathed his kunai and dropped down, trailing his gloved fingers across the water. He appeared to be thinking and Iruka took a moment to just appreciate the view.

“Since we don’t seem to be under observation, I’m going to do an echo locate jutsu and see if maybe there’s anything hidden here.” Iruka began to form seals, and crouched down, placing a hand on one of the flagstones that edged the water spiral. “ _Eko Mitsukemasu_ ,” he said quietly, and closed his eyes. In Iruka’s mind’s eye, colors reversed themselves; white became black, red switched to blue. As the sound waves spread out, he could feel a square cavity to his left side, about twenty by twenty feet square, under the floor stones. The rest of the floor was solid bedrock, apart from where the water dropped down in a steady fall to a holding chamber, before filtering out to the river nearby. He opened his eyes to find Inu watching him intently.

“What was that?” Inu asked.

“Ah,” Iruka began. He felt a bit embarrassed; he was so used to Inu at this point that sometimes it felt as if he was an extension of himself. “That’s not something I usually reveal to other people,” he began. “It’s an inherited jutsu from my mother, and it uses sound to search for things that are hidden. For instance, there’s the chamber under here where the water flows out of, and a manmade square room hewed from the bedrock. It appears to be sealed, and probably holds a lot of the Uzumaki texts the original ANBU team were looking for.”

“That’s very useful,” Inu mused. “You said it uses sound? I heard nothing.”

“It takes finesse to refine,” Iruka said, standing up again. “It took me a long time to be able to use this on a subsonic level. When I started practicing as a small child it sounded rather like a lot of bells all going off at once. Of course, since it’s subsonic, you have to be careful you don’t push with it, or you might destroy what you are looking for.”

“You would have made a good addition to the survey corps if you hadn’t become a ninja.”

“It’s always good to have a career backup,” Iruka quipped. “Do you want to explore this room now?”

Inu shook his head. “No. Let’s press on and find the enemy. We can return later and see what’s in that room.”

“After you, then.” Iruka gestured to the door and followed Inu out, into the broken remains of the village.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I had no idea Whirling Tides was this big,” Iruka said. They were hunkered down behind a large piece of masonry, overlooking the village. From this vantage point, he could see the natural lay of the land. The centre of the village spilled down into a natural basin where the main river widened, before heading out into the sea. “When my father talked of Uzushio, I never got the impression of size. As a child, distance has no meaning.”

“This place is only just a bit smaller than Konoha,” Inu agreed. “It would have been impressive once.”

“How do you want to handle this?” Iruka asked. “We are probably going to need to split up if we want to find any sign of Rock.”

“We don’t even know if we are looking for an operational base, or just what they’ve left behind,” Inu pointed out.

“They will have left something; some indication they were here. If I was going to set up a command post, or a base in unfriendly territory, I’d go somewhere that would logistically make sense.”

“So the outlying edges of the village are out.” Inu turned to Iruka, dropping down to one knee so they were at an equal height. “If you were staying for a while, you’d need running water and cover. I’d want to be in a place where I could easily confuse the enemy should they come calling.”

“The village administrative center is an ideal place, then.” Iruka risked a glance around the stone, looking out over the village. “Lots of cover, near the river, and potentially a mine of sensitive information left behind by the government when they fled.”

“Not only that, but Konoha always had close ties with Uzushio. I would wager Rock never intended to come here for information on Uzushio; they came to find out what they could about Konoha.”

“Dammit.” Iruka pulled out a kunai. “Let’s stop sitting around like gossiping old ladies and get this done.”

Inu laughed. He formed hand seals and said, “ _Kage bunshin no jutsu_.” Two perfect copies of Inu appeared, couched one on either side of the original, all three staring at Iruka.

Iruka let his mouth drop open behind the mask. Then he said, “Wow, that’s impressive.” He wasn’t about to comment on Naruto’s ability to do the same on a larger scale and possibly compromise his identity in the process. Still, he was impressed someone else had enough chakra to pull off the jutsu.

“I thought it would allow us to cover more ground this way,” Inu said. He waved casually and the clones did the same, but with varying degrees of enthusiasm. They nodded to each other, and moved off in separate directions. Iruka watched as they seemed to disappear amongst the shattered nearby buildings. “Do you er, do that often?” he asked.

“Create clones? During a fight one is all I can usually spare. They make a good diversion, allowing me to assess my opponent’s skills without actually engaging.”

“Clever. Let the clone get killed first.”

“And the burning question of the day is, ‘Inu-san, have you ever used them for sex?’”

“I was so _not_ going to ask that,” Iruka huffed.

Inu chuckled. “No, but you were _thinking_ it inside that devious head of yours. And no, I haven’t, although with you I might make an exception if you were interested.” He cocked his head to one side. “I can almost see the thoughts running through your head, Kurohyou. You’re curious.”

“And I might kill you later,” Iruka grumbled. “Where are the clones now?”

“I can’t tell until they return to me; that’s the only downside. Unfortunately, I can’t see what they see, or feel, until it either dissipates by itself or is destroyed.”

“And you collect their knowledge,” Iruka finished.

“And their pain. Which is why I don’t use them unless I have to.” Inu sighed. “In this case, it’s worth the risk in order to cover more ground quickly.”

“We should move out then.” Iruka stood up carefully and dusted off his pants. He hefted the kunai in his hand and set off down the slope, sticking to the shadows, darting between the walls. Inu kept pace behind him until they reached the bottom of the hill, ducking behind Iruka into a doorway.

“Let’s split up here. I’ll go north and meet you on the other side near the admin buildings.”

Iruka nodded and slipped into the remains of the building, moving silently through the lower floors, trying to ignore the detritus of an abandoned life left behind. A child’s toy here on the remains of a rug, rotted through with damp and age; an open book. A single adult-sized shinobi sandal. Iruka gritted his teeth and kept moving, darting across an alleyway into an overgrown, weed-filled garden, and into another house. From this vantage, he could see the very edge of what remained of the third floor of the administrative buildings. He glanced at the sky, getting a read on his position in relation to the sun, and moved to the right, taking a wide arc around.

He was about to step out into a courtyard when he heard movement. Iruka stilled, pressing himself behind a wall and peeking around the doorway, risking a quick glance before ducking behind it again. A single nin: dressed in typical Rock uniform of red and beige, leaning casually against the open doorway to the street, smoking a cigarette.

_Shit_ , Iruka thought. I have no way of telling if he’s with anyone, or if he’s alone.

The sound of stone dust being ground under a sandal told Iruka the nin had extinguished his cigarette. Iruka had to move now, take him down while he had the chance. He could hear the man in the other room, sifting through discarded objects by the sound of it. Iruka risked another look. The nin had his back to the room, clearly not expecting company. Iruka moved swiftly and silently, his left hand reaching around to cover the man’s mouth as his right came up, drawing the kunai across the nin’s throat with deep precision. Iruka embraced him like a lover, taking the struggling man’s weight and pulling him back, deeper into the shadows, through the doorway into the far room. He let the man’s weight take him down and stepped back, watching his final death throes dispassionately as he bled out. Then he stepped over the body and moved back into the main room, through the front door and into the alleyway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka found Inu an hour later, hidden in the upper floors of what must have been a restaurant or bar. It had caught fire at some point, either during the initial fighting that destroyed Uzushio, or sometime later. Vines were growing through the ceiling and along the walls, the green leaves of new growth bright against the blackened timbers. He dropped through the gaping roof, landing with just enough noise to alert Inu he was there. Iruka crouched next to Inu, following his line of sight. Inu was watching the front door of the admin building, clearly checking for movement.

“Clone, or you?” Iruka asked.

Inu laughed. “Me. One clone came back already, the other is still doing reconnaissance.” Inu looked Iruka up and down. “Your blood?”

“No, the enemy’s. He took one too many smoke breaks.”

Inu seemed to freeze for a moment, and then he breathed out, body going lax. Iruka watched curiously; it was only a second or so, but Iruka was used to Inu’s mannerisms and this was out of character. “The other clone,” Inu explained. “Sorry, needed to absorb his experiences.”

“Have we been discovered?”

Inu shifted and shook his head. “Both came back on their own. No movement to the north of the center of the village, but the second spotted unusual activity to the east. Nothing concrete, but we should investigate anyway.”

“No time like the present,” Iruka said. He gave a final visual check to the courtyard below and then stood up. “I’ll take the stairs this time.”

Once out in the yard, Iruka followed Inu, keeping rearguard, kunai drawn. Inu ducked into a doorway and moved through the remains of yet another shop, out the back into an alleyway. They followed it downhill and around, where it started to climb again, up the slope of another hill. This part of the village was burnt almost beyond recognition; the fighting had probably been heaviest here. A lot of shinobi usually meant a lot of jutsu, and the blackened and burnt buildings testified to a fierce struggle for dominance and survival. Even the cobbles under Iruka’s feet were melted in places, further up, the stones stuck out at odd angles as if the very ground had been heaved upward; usually a sign of an A- or S-Rank earth release technique.

Iruka froze when he heard talking; loud enough to be jarring in the haunting silence of the ruined village. He stared at Inu, who gestured to the northeast, and Iruka nodded, watching as Inu disappeared into another house to his right. Iruka jumped through the window and landed behind his quarry, slipping a kunai into his side under the edge of his flak jacket. The nin froze in mid-sentence and then dropped silently to reveal the second man he’d been conversing with moments ago. The man stared openmouthed at Iruka in surprise. Inu moved behind him, dispatching him quickly. The body landed messily next to the other in a tangle of limbs.

Iruka wiped his kunai blade on his sleeve, cleaning it off. “That’s three. How many do you think there are?”

“I’m not sure, but we must be close to where they are bunkered down. It’s getting late and I’d like to at least find the place before the sun sets so we know what we are up against. I’d like answers sooner rather than later.”

“Agreed. The admin buildings should be just at the top of this lane, if I have my bearings correct.”

Inu adjusted his porcelain mask. “We’ll come at it through the buildings here in this block. I don’t want anyone to see us until we have no choice in the matter.”

Iruka followed Inu through a maze of rooms that seemed to connect one to another. Fire and water damage had destroyed almost everything of value. From the remains of broken furniture and scattered papers, this must have been an office building. They found a bank of shattered windows that faced the main admin building and crouched down behind the wall. “Any suggestions?” Iruka asked, pushing some of the broken glass to the side with his sandal.

“Don’t die?” Inu quipped.

“Apart from that,” Iruka replied archly.

“I’m going to show myself,” Inu said after a moment.

“ _What_? Are you crazy?”

“Look, Kurohyou, we can play hide and seek all day, looking for random kills and spending time drawing each individual nin away from the crowd, or I can give them a target to focus on as a group. It’s dangerous, but it will work. One big fight is preferable to lots of little ones in hidden alleyways where anyone can slip a knife between your shoulder blades.”

“At least use a bloody clone,” Iruka snapped, trying to hide his concern with irritation.

Inu formed seals and a single clone appeared in a puff of smoke. They appeared to be silently conversing, because the clone nodded once and knelt down next to Iruka. “We’ll use Formation D,” it said.

Iruka sighed. “Okay, let’s do this.” With a final glance at the real Inu, Iruka moved through the room to the left and took up position in front of another window opening, while Inu moved to do the same on the other side. The clone moved swiftly through the room, leaping up through the broken roof to what was left of the second floor. In moments, there was a flash of black and grey as the clone dropped to the courtyard in full view, crouching down. Two nin appeared immediately, rushing forward, and Iruka felt his own adrenaline spike as he watched the clone pull out three kunai and whip them one-handed toward its attackers. One nin went down while the other started to form seals for a jutsu, but the clone was fast. It moved in a blur, bringing out its katana, swinging it down in a sweeping arc as it moved to engage the nin. More shadows bled from the buildings surrounding the admin building, weapons flashing as they moved to engage Inu’s clone. Most of it was a blur; the only sound the slide of steel on steel as weapons clashed. The clone moved to jutsu after the initial contact, summoning a water dragon from the nearby river. The flagstones were soon engulfed in sloshing water which began to trickle past Iruka’s feet and through a nearby doorway, soaking the ruined floor. There was a shout, and the clone went down in a puff of smoke. Iruka was honestly surprised it had lasted this long with as many opponents as there had been.

Iruka moved swiftly then to engage, seeing Inu do the same from the other side. He met in a clash of kunai with his first opponent, cutting him down. Inu was moving in a whirl of steel, first with weapons and then taijutsu. Iruka focused on his opponent, delivering a kick that sent the man through the nearest wall in an eruption of brick dust and timber, following up with a handful of shuriken right to his chest. Iruka dodged a fist to the face from his next opponent, kicking the bastard in the knee and hearing it crack as the man cried out. Iruka turned, delivering another kick to the injured kneecap and then jamming his kunai into the man’s heart. Time slowed for Iruka; his senses seemed to sharpen. He knew this was just his body adapting to the pounding adrenaline of the fight, oft-practiced survival skills coming into play. Adrenaline dulls the pain too; the jarring of his arm as he connected with a Rock nin’s katana, using his armguard to block, the stinging slice of a dodged kunai against his hip – all small things his body disregarded in order to stay focused, to stay alive.

The crowd of enemy nin seemed to thin for a moment and Iruka slowed, kunai in each hand, panting for breath, but glad of it all the same because he was still breathing, while his opponents were not. He heard Inu shout and whirled around, coming to a stop, almost slipping in blood on the cobbles.

A figure was approaching Inu; an ANBU in Rock uniform; brick red pants and shirt, and a beige flak jacket. Inu’s other opponents fell back, some calling out, some shouting encouragement to the ANBU. Iruka had a horrible feeling things had suddenly turned against them, but he didn’t know why. The ANBU was clearly a woman, he could tell by the way she held herself, the way she moved. And that too, was horribly familiar. Dread pooled in Iruka’s stomach when he saw what was painted on her mask.

The ANBU drew a long blade as she approached Inu, and Iruka watched as he straightened, preparing to face her. She reached up, fingers curling around the side of the lizard mask, and she pulled it off, revealing her face: shoulder length auburn hair and piercing green eyes, and a sardonic smirk.

Iruka starred, disbelieving, at the woman in front of him. He heard Inu utter one word, and it was a single, familiar name.

“ _Tatsu_.”

 


	7. Chapter 7

“Tatsu.”

Inu’s voice carried across the now silent courtyard. Iruka used the enemy’s moment of distraction to do a count; there were at least seven of them left, and probably more elsewhere. He reached down into his thigh pouch, swapping the kunai he’d been using for two more, pulling them out carefully without drawing too much attention to his actions.

“Not Tatsu, _Tokage_ ,” she spat. “How do you know my name, Konoha?”

“From the list you left us, along with that rather handy map describing your location in such precise detail,” Inu drawled.

Iruka could feel Inu’s killing intent rise with each second until it was overpowering. He watched as a number of the enemy took a step backward, only the very foolhardy or stupidly brave choosing to remain within the target area of a potential mid-distance jutsu.

“What list are you talking about?”

“The scroll you left us in the base on the outskirts of Fire Country,” Iruka said, stepping forward casually. He needed to get closer to Inu, to protect his back when the fighting resumed.

The woman seemed shocked for a moment and then laughed. It was a chilling laugh, full of false bravado and a great deal of bitterness that she tried, and failed, to hide. “That bitch,” Tatsu said. “That fucking _bitch_. You have us confused; Tatsu is my twin sister.”

If Inu was surprised, he didn’t show it. He laughed then, a deep rich, baritone. “Is that so? Tokage and Tatsu,” he said. “Two sides of the same coin. One apparently betrayed by the other, simply so she could make it back to Rock alive. We followed your sister’s clues here.” Inu walked toward her and Iruka cursed his theatrics; now the idiot was further away, outside Iruka’s ability to protect him at close range. “She left quite a detailed scroll for us in the other base, knowing we’d decode it. She named not only you, but a number of other Rock ANBU in that scroll, along with directions to Uzushio. How does it feel to be betrayed by your _sister_ of all people? To know that the one who signed your death warrant is someone you considered family?”

“Hmph.” She shook her head in denial, eyes narrowing in suspicion. “You made a lucky guess. Tatsu would never betray her own flesh and blood.”

“And yet here we are, remarkably in the very place you happen to be. I’d hardly call that guesswork.” Inu shrugged, as if it was of no matter, but Iruka could see that Tokage had started to doubt herself and her sister’s actions.

“Kurohyou, the black panther. I’ve heard of you,” Tokage said to Iruka. She sneered, pulling the conversation away from what, for her, was becoming an uncomfortable subject. “And you with the silver, lying tongue; I recognize your mask; Inu, from the bingo books. You’re worth quite a lot to the bounty hunters, about sixty million ryo the last time I looked. How nice of Konoha to send their very best to try to take me down.”

“It will be my pleasure,” Inu said, raising his katana.

Tokage began to flash through hand seals, and Iruka prepared to attack. “Wait,” Inu said, holding out a hand. He was concentrating on Tokage, watching her. “She’s not channeling chakra, she’s trying to fake us out.”

“What? How can you tell –“

Out of the corner of his eye, Iruka saw a single Rock nin leap from the building above, and he knew Tokage had simply been stalling for time. Inu was still focused intently on Tokage; he hadn’t seen the nin or the giant, spinning shuriken in his hand. Iruka didn’t even think about it; he moved, just as another nin made to intercept. Iruka pulled two new kunai, primed with exploding tags on the handles, and leapt at the second nin, planting a knife in each shoulder. The man froze in shock and Iruka brought his feet up, using his momentum to kick off the man’s chest and flip high in the air. He formed two seals and yelled “KAI!” The tags on each kunai exploded messily, scattering body parts across the courtyard. Iruka tucked and flipped, landing in a protective stance directly behind Inu, bringing up his left arm as the nin with the giant shuriken made contact. Instead of taking out Inu, the shuriken bit deep into Iruka’s raised armguard. Iruka grunted at the jarring blow, ducking his head to avoid the points of the spinning blades. He felt one nick his exposed neck and the sting made him curse. “Idiot!” Iruka shouted at Inu, “Go get the bitch!” Inu appeared startled but then nodded, moving away to intercept Tokage.

Iruka faced the nin who had just attacked. “That was stupid,” he commented. “You should have made sure you were on target before you leapt from the building. Now I get to kill _you_ instead.” Slowly he pulled his katana from its sheath across his back and held it out to one side, clearly issuing a challenge.

The man grinned and switched the shuriken to his other hand, spinning it up until it was a blur. “I have the upper hand, Konoha, and a much larger weapon.”

Iruka snorted. “And you have no _idea_ how much experience I have with giant shuriken-wielding psychopaths,” he replied, moving forward slowly. “The last one who tried to stab me in the back is dead, while I am _very_ much alive. Why don’t you give it your best shot and we’ll see what happens?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka pulled his blade from the stomach of the Rock nin, watching as he fell to the ground, his expression of sure superiority replaced with one of disbelief. Iruka’s left arm ached to the bone and he spared it a quick glance; the metal was bent from the blow of the shuriken and he had no doubt his arm would be bruised black and blue. He turned, focusing on the remaining five enemy nin. It seemed that, out of the original six, one had managed to get himself caught in the crossfire of deadly jutsu between Inu and Tokage. One of them grinned and moved to intercept Iruka before he could get to Inu, and Iruka resigned himself to another hard-fought battle. It was not to be so straightforward, however. Tokage jumped backward, out of the line of Inu’s next jutsu, and began making hand seals. Iruka was suspicious; was this another fake-out?

Inu took a step back and gestured to Iruka to do the same. “She’s for real this time,” Inu explained. “She’s going for an area attack; be on your guard.”

Iruka nodded and jumped out of the way, expecting Inu to do the same. He was about to call out, when Tokage finished the seals and spread her arms wide, palms pressed out toward her fellow nin. “ _Jemini no jutsu_!” she shouted. Her hair seemed to float around her shoulders as a fierce wind blew through the courtyard, and Iruka turned away, shielding his eyes from the blowing dust. When the dust cleared, Tokage was lowering her hands, a smirk on her face. Around them, each Rock nin still standing began to stretch sideways, rather like a piece of gum being pulled apart. Most of them were screaming in agony as their skin and sinews tore to reform into two separate individuals. Iruka sucked in a horrified breath as he watched the transformation. “What the hell? Are they clones?”

“No,” Inu said. “They are twins of a sort; two individuals born of one death, reinforced with Tokage’s chakra so they can move and fight.”

Iruka had seen a lot of really crazy, way out there jutsu in his time – in fact, the higher ranked the shinobi, the crazier the jutsu seemed to get – but this jutsu had to rank of one of the most disgusting, pointless wastes of life and talent he’d ever seen. Never mind the fact that, now, they had twelve enemies to deal with instead of six, not counting Tokage, and all of them were rushing in for the kill at once, rather than taking their time.

Iruka was really beginning to think this had to rank as one of the most irritating days ever, before he was mobbed by a number of Rock nin. He raised his katana and moved forward, ready to intercept, but also keeping an eye on Inu so he could protect his back. It became a fight utilizing weapons and taijutsu because there was simply no room to use jutsu. Unfortunately, killing one of a pair didn’t kill the other; although born from one person, they seemed to operate, and die, as an individual. This was an extremely dangerous jutsu, and Iruka hoped to heaven it never got used on a battlefield against Konoha, because the potential loss of life would be unthinkable.

“We need to take Tokage down now,” Iruka shouted to Inu, “before she gets the opportunity to use that damn jutsu again!” He dropped and twisted, bringing his blade up, slicing through one nin, whirling to face another, slamming his arm guard into the enemy’s jaw. Iruka’s bruised arm jarred painfully, but he kept going, refusing to slow.

“Kurohyou, she’s trying to retreat,” Inu said. “I’m going after her.”

Iruka looked back to see Inu take down the last of his crowd of nin. “What?” Iruka turned forward just in time to duck a kunai, and decided he’d had enough. He flashed through seals as soon as there was a break before the next nin rushed forward, and directed his water bullet jutsu in a wide spread into the remaining Rock nin. The last three went down, one with a direct hit to the forehead, the other two injured, allowing Iruka to move in and dispatch them quickly.

Panting, he stood there in the fading light of day, the bodies piled at his feet, trying to recoup what remaining strength he had left. He knelt down and wiped the blade of his katana free of blood. He watched dispassionately as a single, opportunistic crow squawked and spiraled down, wings flapping, toward the bodies. It began pecking curiously at one of them, but Iruka didn’t have the energy, or the desire, to shoo it off.

With a sigh, he pushed to his feet. He wished in a way that, although traumatizing, he could make his students understand this. Make them see that this was what they were embracing by becoming shinobi. One day they would understand although, by then, it would be too late. He turned and walked across the now silent courtyard, following the direction that Inu had taken in his pursuit of Tokage. Iruka ducked into an alleyway, skirting the side of the main administration building before leaping over the wall and landing on the tiled top in a crouch. The central building looked a lot like the one in Konoha; a circular structure with a flat roof - although the Uzushio building was missing its roof and part of the wall on the left side had been blown out, probably by an explosion. Rubble littered the forecourt, and Iruka could see the skeleton of the building through the gaping hole.

A sharp whistle interrupted Iruka’s thoughts: it was the cry of a bird local to Konoha, which meant it was Inu. Iruka snapped his head toward the sound and listened again for the call. He dropped to the ground, putting out a hand as he made contact and ran into cover, pressing against the wall. Inu seemed to melt out of the shadow, moving close until they were almost shoulder to shoulder.

“Did you find her?” Iruka asked, glancing around the corner, watching for enemy movement.

“I followed her here.” Inu placed a gloved hand on Iruka’s shoulder, gently turning him, pulling his attention from his surroundings to the man beside him. “Kurohyou, are you injured?”

Iruka shook his head. “Another interesting bruise or two to add to the collection, that’s all.”

“Your neck is still bleeding.”

“Is it?” Iruka swiped at his covered neck, his fingers coming away with a small amount of fresh blood through the rend in the fabric. “That’s hardly worth commenting on,” he said. “I’m not bleeding out, nor do I require stitches. It can wait.”

Inu nodded. “Good. How do you want to handle this?”

“Hmm. You go in the front; I go in the back?”

“Are we talking standard Black Ops-speak here, or discussing sexual positions? Because, depending on which one, I might have a preference.”

Iruka growled. “You are unbelievable.”

“So I’ve been told, although I’ve yet to earn a rating from you. Clearly I need to try harder.”

Iruka laughed softly then, some of the tension in his body releasing with the banter. “Clearly you need to put a lot more effort in, so I can rate things properly.”

“Duly noted. But first, we have to get rid of a small problem, namely Tokage.”

“And here I thought we were just going to stand around discussing your prowess in the bedroom,” Iruka said with a raised eyebrow.

Inu risked a glance across the courtyard. The lack of attacking enemy nin was surprising to both of them. “We’ll go in through the broken wall and draw out anyone who’s foolhardy enough to hang around waiting for us both,” Inu decided. “I can probably spare another clone for reconnaissance if needed, although I’d prefer not to.”

“Let’s try to conserve chakra if at all possible. I personally am not looking forward to finding out the hard way what other nasty jutsu Tokage can pull out.”

“Yes, but I’m sure she’s not looking forward to the same from us,” Inu pointed out. “I have a feeling she’ll be aiming for a quick, dirty fight. We should be prepared for a full-out assault, because that’s what I’d do if I was faced with the prospect of two S-Ranked enemy shinobi who’d just taken out most of my squad.”

“Let’s get this done, then.” Iruka moved, slipping into the shadows, toward the entrance to the building.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka leapt over the broken wall of the administration building, finding cover immediately behind the remains of a desk in what must have been an office. Inu slipped in silently next to him. “This is very similar to our Hokage’s office and residence,” he noted. “I’m guessing the layout is the same. Konoha probably borrowed the design.”

Iruka nodded. “The Kage’s office will be on the third floor, then. Although I doubt if much of it is left since it looks like some kind of elemental jutsu took out most of the side of the building.”

“The stairs shouldn’t have been damaged, being located near the centre. We should check out the top levels and then move down. I don’t want to get caught in any rearguard action when we’re not expecting it.”

Iruka pulled out his katana and moved to the door. He checked the hallway, gesturing to Inu to follow. “The building is circular; I’ll go left and you go right. We’ll meet by the main staircase.”

Inu slipped past Iruka and disappeared around the curve of the corridor. Iruka pressed himself close to the inner wall, glancing in doorways as he went. The building was quiet – too quiet. Had they actually managed to take out most of the enemy in the previous fight, just leaving Tokage? It would be too good to be true. Inu was waiting by the stairs, leaning against the stair railing, arms crossed. He looked remarkably unconcerned.

“Anything?” Iruka asked. Inu shook his head. Together they climbed the stairs, moving through the same routine on the second level. The silence was almost grating and Iruka was glad when he heard the shrill call of a crow from outside. Here there were the remains of decades old bodies, mere bundles of cloth covered bone now, probably dating to the destruction of the village. “These poor bastards didn’t have time to get out,” Iruka whispered. “This is probably where the initial assault happened.”

“We know at least some of the villagers got away,” Inu said. “Like your father, they probably were far enough from the main fighting to not get caught in the first battle. They probably fought to the end, through the streets.”

“Guerrilla tactics,” Iruka said. “I remember my father talking once about never underestimating the power of a quick retreat and then advance. I didn’t know what he was talking about, but now it makes more sense.”

The sound of something scraping across the ceiling drew their attention upward. “Tokage,” Inu guessed.

“She’s not subtle, is she?”

“Apparently not.” Inu unsheathed his blade and moved away from the destruction, Iruka following behind, stepping carefully around the remains, trying to not look closely. As they ascended the stairs to the third level, they slipped into stealth mode, careful to not make any sound. It was pointless; Tokage was waiting at the top of the stairs, a hectic grin etched into her features.

“It took you long enough,” she spat. “Lucky for you, I’m the only one left. You’ve managed to decimate my squad quite successfully.”

Before Iruka could think, Inu disappeared in a blur, moving incredibly fast up the staircase. Tokage let out a laugh and was gone, both of them moving almost too quickly for Iruka to see. In the distance, he could hear the clash of steel and knew the fight was joined.

“Fuck,” he said, and ran after the pair of them. The sounds were coming from the left, near the damaged side of the building. He ran down the hallway, coming to a stop inside the door to the Kage’s office. It was a good place for a fight; Tokage had chosen well. The room was large, almost twice the size of Tsunade’s office, with a high ceiling. The remains of a large desk dominated the room; it would have been impressive in its time. Toward the back, three gigantic rotting tapestries took up the wall, the middle one embroidered with the Uzumaki spiral.

Inu and Tokage were near where the wall was blown out, dangerously close to the shattered floorboards and the three-storey drop to the courtyard below. They were circling each other, like restless tigers, each searching for an opening in the other’s guard, initially finding none. Iruka moved to intercept, but Inu shook his head. “No, Kurohyou, she’s mine.”

“Fine, have it your way.” Iruka moved to one side of the tapestries and leaned against the wall. The last thing he was going to do was interfere in what Inu now deemed was his own personal business.

Inu had been correct earlier when he’d predicted that Tokage would be going for a quick, dirty fight. After an initial volley of kunai, which Inu dodged, she moved in with taijutsu. Inu matched her punch for punch, kick for kick. He jumped back, forming hand seals, but she was fast, quick enough to prevent Inu from completing them. She was determined, Iruka would give her that much, her speed making up for her lesser strength and stamina. It was clear she was tiring, and soon Inu had her corralled near the ruined wall. He moved toward her and she used a final burst of speed, delivering a low, sweeping, roundhouse kick to Inu’s side. Iruka heard him grunt in pain and she began to press forward. Inu was now on the retreat, and Iruka raised an eyebrow, wondering what the hell was going on. He clenched his hands, preparing to step in. Inu was panting, loud enough for Iruka to hear, favouring his side. The back of his thighs met the desk, and triumphantly, Tokage raised her blade for the kill.

Iruka sucked in a shocked breath. She moved quickly, a blur, until all Iruka could focus on was Inu, and Tokage moving toward him. She thrust with her blade, arm outstretched, and just as the point made contact, there was a puff of smoke. In Inu’s place was a log, and he reappeared behind her. Her momentum had carried her too far forward and now she was off balance. Inu raised his sword and Iruka watched as it slid through her back like a knife through butter. She shouted, a scream born of rage and frustration as the katana slid home, the point emerging from just below her sternum. Inu wrapped a hand around her upper arm and pulled back, watching as she slid to the floor in a rapidly widening pool of blood.

Iruka let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. Inu knelt down next to Tokage and turned her over so she was face up. She was speaking to Inu, softly enough that Iruka couldn’t hear the words, but his body went rigid, maybe in shock. She laughed once more, a breathy chuckle that ended abruptly on a cough as her lungs filled with blood. She coughed again and then, after a few moments, her body went lax.

Inu stood up and shook the blood from his sword, sheathing it across his back. “It’s done.”

Iruka walked over to Inu and held out a hand, steering Inu toward the desk. He was holding his side, so at the very least, that hadn’t been faked. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone use a Substitution Jutsu in a S-Rank fight,” Iruka said. He stared to the side at the log, which was lying on the floor. It had a twig sticking out of one side and two small leaves, jauntily perched at the end.

“There’s a first time for everything,” Inu said. He leaned back against the desk. Iruka looked him over, noticing his exhaustion.

“You need rest.”

“So do you, but neither of us has time for that now.” Inu waved a hand lazily, as if to encompass the whole village.

Iruka crossed his arms. “Take the flak jacket off.”

“Hmm, sexy. Didn’t know you wanted me over the desk,” Inu drawled.

“As much fun as that sounds, I want to look at your ribs.” He gestured for Inu to remove the vest, which he did with a great show of reluctance. Iruka was concerned; Inu would have usually refused, preferring to wait until later. That he was complying, and with minimal fuss, meant that he probably had broken ribs, which would be excruciating. Once Inu had taken off his vest, Iruka pulled up his black shirt, running his fingers lightly over Inu’s side. “Sexy,” he muttered and Inu laughed breathily, the laugh turning into a wince. “You’re all bruised, from hip to arm, and I’d say you’ve at least cracked a rib or two.”

Iruka channeled healing energy to his palms and gently placed both hands on Inu’s side. He felt Inu pull in a breath and release it slowly as the pain eased. He smoothed his palms down toward Inu’s hip and Inu leaned back a little to allow Iruka to work. Iruka tried very hard not to glance at Inu’s tight, muscled stomach, the way his pants rode low on his hips, the faint trail of hair from his navel downwards. The feel of Inu’s skin, hot under his hands, was almost arousing. Unfortunately, that would have to wait for later. “So, what did Tokage say that made you freeze up?”

Inu shifted, but didn’t reply. He watched Iruka work, moving his hands across his torso, knitting the bones together and healing some of the bruising. “She said, ‘It’s too late: the sleepers will awaken.’”

Iruka looked up sharply, searching Inu’s blank mask vainly for a sign of what he was feeling. “Turn, please.” Inu moved enough that Iruka had better access to side and back. “Inu? Do you think she’s referring to the spies in Konoha Ibiki was worried about?”

“Most likely.” Inu sounded less exhausted, which was a relief for Iruka. It meant the healing was working. “She said will awaken, not _has awoken_ , which leads me to believe we still have some time to figure out what Rock was doing here.”

“Hmm.” Iruka released the healing energy and stepped back, allowing Inu to pull his shirt back down and put on his flak jacket. He fished around in one of his pouches and pulled out two pills. “Here, take one of these; it’s an energy pill. It should boost your stamina for a while at least.” He turned away, allowing Inu to take the pill, while he did the same.

Inu stood up and moved carefully, stretching his arms to check his movement. “Thanks, that’s much better.” He stared down at the ground, and Iruka followed his line of sight to Tokage’s body. He seemed thoughtful. “We should try to find their base of operations quickly. I would like to wrap this mission up and get back to Konoha. My bet is the base is probably close by if she ran here. Most people will go to ground in familiar territory.”

“Sometimes you even think like a dog,” Iruka said with a snort. “Let’s check out the basement levels, then, if they are still accessible. Hopefully this wasn’t simply a wild goose chase and there’s some information still to be had.”

Inu nodded. “Let’s move out.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There was a lot of water damage below ground level. The concrete walls dripped with condensation and Iruka could hear the patter of running water from somewhere. “I doubt if this place will remain standing for much longer,” he said. Inu turned his head, glancing back at Iruka. His gait was less strained, so Iruka’s healing, plus the energy pill, seemed to have worked for the time being.

The corridor arched to the right, mirroring the layout from the upper levels. Every now and again a doorway opened into a room but Iruka had seen no sign of movement, leading him to believe that his earlier judgement was correct and that they had completely wiped out the enemy forces. Not bad for a two-man team, he thought.

Inu descended another flight of stairs and Iruka followed. Inu stopped abruptly and said, “In here.” Iruka cursed as Inu disappeared through the doorway, and he trotted to catch up.

It was clearly the motherlode. The main room on this level looked well-lived in, with other doors off it, containing recently slept-in beds from what he could see, and personal belongings scattered about. Inu wandered into one of the rooms and Iruka walked to the right, toward what looked like another large room. He sucked in a breath, held it, and released it slowly. This room had a single chair in it, bolted to the floor. It had a head rest, and reclined slightly. As he approached it, he could make out restraints on the arms and legs, and also thick leather straps with buckles designed to go around the head. Torture was his first thought, and then he noticed the screen in front of the chair. He switched it on, suddenly assaulted by a kaleidoscope of whirling colors and shapes, all blending one into the other, over and over again. Surely over a period of hours or days it would be enough to drive a person mad. Iruka heard the scuff of a shoe behind him and turned to find Inu standing in the doorway. He reached forward and turned the screen off, plunging the room back into semi-darkness, leaving only the flickering glare of the overhead light.

“Mind control,” Inu said, stepping into the room. “Or brainwashing. This is where they would have conditioned Ookami and Nezumi, probably others.”

Iruka grimaced. He didn’t want to think what those poor bastards had gone through while they were here, but he forced himself to, to put himself in their place. The terror of being restrained against your will, of not knowing what someone might do to you next. The fight to remain sane, to remain yourself, to not get lost in the pattern of madness. It was horrifying.

“Did you hear that?” Iruka moved his head, listening. There it was again; a dragging sound, coming from beyond a doorway to his right.

Inu nodded to show he’d heard it too, and pulled out a kunai, flipping it expertly in one hand until it was point forward. Iruka did the same and they both moved to either side of the doorway. Iruka waited for Inu’s cue and then they entered a long corridor. There were doors along one wall, all heavy with what looked like iron reinforcement and a small window at head height. Cells to hold prisoners, Iruka thought. The noise was coming from the far end and, together, they flanked the last door. Keys hung on the wall nearby and Iruka reached for them, trying unsuccessfully once or twice until he found the correct one. The key turned heavily in the door, making a loud clunking noise, like it hadn’t been opened recently. Iruka pushed against it and after a moment it gave, grinding across the cell floor as he forced it open.

He wasn’t expecting an attack. Iruka made a noise as the air was forced from his lungs as something barreled into him, and he went down. He reached up to protect himself from the screaming woman attacking him, one arm up to protect his throat as he felt manacled hands clawing at him. The weight of the person was gone suddenly, and when he sat up, Inu had pulled the woman free of him. She was still screaming, greasy blonde hair hanging like string across a face filled with rage and fear.

“Saru.” Inu spoke one word – it must have been her name - and the fight went out of her so quickly that it was disturbing to watch. Inu let go and she slipped to the floor, falling back against the wall. “Saru, can you hear me?”

Iruka watched, not moving in case he frightened her, while Inu crouched down next to the woman. Saru – Iruka suddenly remembered she was the member of Tatsu’s original ANBU team who was supposedly killed in action. What was she doing here? He looked closer and could make out the remains of her ANBU uniform, hanging in threads from her starved body. She was painfully thin, and she was taking quick, nervous breaths as her gaze flicked from Inu and back to Iruka. Her manacled hands clenched and unclenched tightly in her lap.

Inu reached out a hand slowly, and when she didn’t attack, he placed it gently on her shoulder. She flinched, but didn’t move further. It seemed her assault of Iruka had been the last of the strength she had left.

“Inu?” she said, her voice raspy with disuse. “Are you real or just another mad vision?”

Inu nodded. “Very real. We’ve come to take you home.”

She laughed then; a thin, reedy chuckle at the thought. “You are far too idealistic for your own good, Inu-san. I’ll never make it back home. I’m half dead already.”

Iruka climbed to his feet, but kept his distance. “Inu, we should move her to somewhere more comfortable.”

Inu nodded and when Saru didn’t object, he picked her up, cradling her body close to his as he strode down the corridor. Iruka hung back for a moment and stood in the doorway, looking into the cell. It was quite large, built to hold a number of people. This one still did; although the other occupant was long since dead. Iruka wanted to vomit. Who would do such a thing - leave a living person in a cell with the rotting corpse of their teammate? No wonder Saru was damaged, probably beyond help. Rage bubbled up inside Iruka, and he wished Tokage was still alive so he could kill her again, preferably over and over. Iruka turned on his heel and walked down the corridor, opening all the doors, checking to see if others were still alive. All the cells bore corpses, most in Konoha uniform; ANBU and jounin if he was correct. Before they left, he vowed he would collect their tags so their families had closure, but for now, he couldn’t stay here. They needed to find out if Saru knew anything important.

Inu had placed Saru on one of the cots but, when he saw Iruka, he came over. “What did you find?” he asked, keeping his voice low so Saru wouldn’t hear him.

“Bodies.” Iruka took a deep breath. “Bodies in all the cells, most of them Leaf. Inu, they left her to die in there _with her comrade’s corpse_.”

Iruka could feel Inu’s barely simmering control starting to break, and killing intent began to fill the room. Saru whimpered in fear and Inu reined in his rage, because Iruka felt it shut off almost immediately. Inu strode over to Saru and sat carefully on the edge of the cot, half way down at her hip level. Iruka remained at the foot of the bed, close enough to hear but not near enough to be a threat to her: as far as she was concerned, he was an unknown entity.

“Kurohyou, can you find some water for Saru?”

Iruka nodded, locating a flask of water on one of the side tables next to another cot. He opened the top and smelled it, checking its contents. It was still fresh, so Iruka passed it to Inu and returned to his previous position. Inu fed Saru small sips of water, whispering to her not to rush it, and she complied, seeming to trust Inu, if not as a friend, as a Leaf ANBU. After a few moments she laid back with a feeble sigh.

“Saru, I’m going to take off the restraints, okay?” Inu pulled out a kunai slowly, letting her see the blade, to react to it. She tensed, but didn’t move any further, simply nodding and holding out her hands. Inu looked them over, remarking to both Iruka and Saru, “Chakra inhibiting restraints,” before he jammed the blade in the hinge of one cuff and twisted. It took effort but the cuff popped open after a moment, and he repeated the process on the other. Saru seemed to shudder when the second came free, her chakra returning to her in a rush.

“Thank you.”

Inu returned the kunai to his thigh holster. “Can you tell us anything about what happened to you?”

Saru let out a weak laugh. “That bitch Tatsu is what happened. We came here looking for scrolls on fuinjutsu, to strengthen the seal on the Kyuubi child. At soon as we got here we were ambushed; it was as if they knew we were coming.” She shifted on the cot, probably uncomfortable after sleeping on the floor for so long. “We were suddenly surrounded by Rock and Mist nin. We fought hard and long, to no avail. We had no idea we had a traitor already on our team.”

Iruka sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. Rock _and_ Mist? He thought back to the other base they’d gone to, and the S-Rank missing nin from Mist who’d been there. It was starting to look as if Mist was more involved than he’d previously thought.

Saru took a few more sips of water with Inu’s help and lay back down on the cot. “Once it became apparent that Tatsu was actually working with the enemy, we fought a hard battle to get free. Nezumi almost took her down, but we were overwhelmed by sheer numbers. They hauled us back here, put us in the cells. One by one they attempted to coerce us into betraying Konoha, to joining them. Neither I, nor Nezumi or Ookami would submit, so they resorted to trying to brainwash us. Mist bought in some kind of apparatus to help with the process.”

Iruka thought back to the other room and the single chair placed in the middle of it. He gritted his teeth but remained silent.

“Why didn’t it work on you?” Inu asked. “Both Nezumi and Ookami returned to Konoha with Tatsu, claiming you were dead; killed in action.”

She fixed rounded, tired eyes on Iruka and then on Inu. “It didn’t work on me because I’m a Yamanaka.”

_Shit_. Inu seemed to stiffen, and Iruka recognized the sign of him thinking quickly, working through a process. The Yamanaka clan were experts in mind-centered techniques and, once they realized they had a member of the clan, Tatsu would have pushed for her conversion.

“I was able to resist, because I’d been taught by the best: Inoichi. They were hoping, once I’d been converted to their side, to use my _Shinranshin no Jutsu_ – the Mind Destruction Technique - against Konoha. With that, I could have turned whole squads of Konoha shinobi against each other; made them fight to the death until not a single person would have been left standing.”

Iruka was horrified. This was, by no means, a hastily drawn together plan by Rock. Tatsu would have had to know that Saru was a Yamanaka; had probably worked to have her placed on the team before the mission.

“And when they realized the mind control wouldn’t work you, what happened?” Inu prompted.

“They threw me back in the cell and left me to starve slowly, feeding me just enough to keep me alive, in case I could be of further use.” Saru let out a shuddering breath. “Every now and then, they’d bring in other Konoha shinobi. Mostly ANBU, the occasional jounin. Probably all listed as missing in action as well. Some of them I didn’t see again. Others – the ones that couldn’t be brainwashed – they left to die in the cells.”

Saru paused and let out a long breath. Iruka could see that what little strength she had was fading fast. “Inu, we need to get her to try some food,” Iruka said. “She needs sustenance if we want to get her home.”

Saru shook her head. “I told you, I’m not going back.”

“We’ll get you home, Saru, that’s a promise.” Inu moved, placing a hand on her forehead, maybe checking for fever, or comforting her.

Saru moved quickly, so quickly that Iruka wasn’t expecting it. Fingers trembling with fatigue and hunger, she still managed to grasp the kunai Inu had placed in his thigh pouch, rip it free, and plunge it with precision into her chest. She was an ANBU; she knew precisely where to strike and how hard to push the blade home to do maximum damage.

Iruka moved, but Inu stood up, held out a hand. He knelt next to Saru, placing his hands over hers on the handle of the kunai.

“Tell my family I died an honorable death,” she whispered. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, onto the pillow, and Iruka could only stand there and watch. “Tell them I died with a weapon in my hands, and not shuttered in a cell like a starving rat.”

Inu nodded and tightened his fingers around hers. Saru nodded in return and closed her eyes, and Inu pushed the kunai home in one quick movement, completing the task she had been unable to.

Iruka stepped back, watching as Inu leaned over Saru, whispering to her. It was too intimate for Iruka and he turned, leaving the room. He wondered how many times Inu had done something similar; if this was a normal thing for ANBU. He wondered if, some day, someone would do the same for Inu.

Iruka turned on his heel and strode up the stairs until he reached the main level. He went into the first room he could find, and slammed his fist hard into the wall. When the pain didn’t register, he did it again for good measure, watching in a detached manner as the wall cracked and split.

Tatsu was going to pay for this, he vowed. He wasn’t going to give her the option of a pain free, easy death at his hand. He was going to make sure it _hurt_ , because he wanted her to know how he felt at this moment, standing in the ruins of his father’s village, watching a comrade help another make an honorable death. Iruka hurt, but he was still alive. And if he was alive, he would get revenge in the name of Konoha if it was the last thing he did.

 


	8. Chapter 8

Iruka stood just inside the door of the leftmost cell, hesitant to enter. He flexed the fingers of his right hand carefully. He could already feel it swelling, along with the sting of myriad cuts on his knuckles. Punching the wall had helped considerably; the pain had cleared his mind, allowing him to focus, to make it through the rest of the day, to complete what had to be done.

He stepped into the cell and forced back the feeling of claustrophobia that clawed at his throat. He tried not to think about what those left in these cells had felt, their last moments. Theirs had not been an honorable death, on the point of a sword, believing that what they were doing was right and just. Instead, they’d been left to die when their usefulness had run out.

Iruka crouched beside the body of a Leaf jounin. Who was this person? Iruka reached over and gently tugged out the tags, unhooking them. Not someone he knew. He breathed a sigh of relief mingled with guilt. There were two other bodies in this cell, both ANBU. Their masks were missing, and ANBU wore no tags or anything which might identify them to the enemy. It was likely, without checking mission records, that nobody would know who they were. Iruka resolved when they got back that he would find out, so their families had some kind of closure.

He stood up, placing the tags from the jounin in his pouch. From another pouch, he removed some powder, designed to dissolve evidence and bodies. While this small act was not within his jurisdiction as a hunter nin, he could not, in good conscience, leave them lying here exposed. Apart from not wanting to leave evidence of Konoha’s jutsu and techniques behind, Iruka felt he owed these shinobi a decent end.

He clasped his hands and said a prayer, then sprinkled the bodies with the powder. Then he formed seals and watched as the bodies were ignited with a ghostly green flame, consuming them, consigning them to their ancestors.

Iruka watched for a moment and then turned on his heel, and moved on to the next cell.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka finished packing up the tags from the Leaf shinobi they’d found in the cells, and all the paperwork they had found in the lower levels. The information painted a dark picture: that Rock had been working with Mist for over a decade, planning a long game to bring Konoha down from within, but using its own shinobi rather than an invading force. Iruka didn’t have the whole picture yet, but he hoped that, when they returned, Ibiki might have some answers of his own.

Iruka’s temper was a little more even now. The burning rage he felt from earlier had hardened into a brittle, cold promise of future revenge. He would hunt Tatsu to the ends of the continent and further, if he had to.

He’d healed his hand as best he could. It was hard to channel healing energy with his off hand, as he was used to using both together. Now it was only bruised and cut, rather than broken. That didn’t mean it didn’t hurt like a son of a bitch, but the pain was a reminder, one he welcomed.

Inu had summoned his ninken and taken them outside, giving Iruka some much needed time to work through his anger. Iruka had put up a defensive barrier over the Uzumaki temple, weaving seals into it so that Inu could return when he wanted to, but so that it wouldn’t let anyone else enter.

He pulled off his black panther mask and dropped it onto his bedroll, then pulled down the cloth mask. He scrubbed at this face, breathing deeply of the clean air and the smell of fresh, running water. Iruka felt dirty, not just from the fighting, but inside too. He felt disassociated from himself, like _Kurohyou_ was starting to bleed into _Iruka_. He glanced around, and hearing nothing from outside indicating that Inu was close, Iruka stood up and began to strip off his clothing, pulling the bandages free, slipping away from the bindings that made him Kurohyou.

As if in a trance, Iruka walked toward the spiral in the middle of the temple, stepping into the channel of water. It was shallow, maybe calf deep, but fast moving and cold. With a precision bordering on meditation, Iruka walked the spiral, descending down the gentle slope that flowed with the whirlpool, until he was standing in the circle in the middle. The water moved in a loud rush of sound, whirling around him, yet in the centre it was calm. It was powerful but soothing. He crouched down, until he was kneeling, and plunged his head and shoulders into the water, coming up for air after a few moments, gasping. He pushed his hair back off of his face and began to splash the water over his body, washing away everything that had happened since they had arrived in Uzushio; the dirt, the grime, the blood and the pain. The cold was like a sting on his skin, cleansing and invigorating, reawakening his spirit. He sat back on his heels and tipped his head back, staring up at the domed ceiling, letting the water drip from his skin and hair. He let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes, reveling in the peace of the moment.

Minutes later, he opened his eyes and stood up. He felt better, like he had his equilibrium back; that now he was Iruka again and not _Kurohyouiruka_. He stared down at the _Oinin Butai_ tattoo on his hip, tracing over it with his fingers, following the swirl of the red ink, the mirror to the ANBU mark. For better or worse he was Kurohyou, but now, Iruka was at peace with that again.

He climbed the slope of water until he could pad back across the floor to his bedroll. He pulled out a clean pair of pants and slipped them on, leaving the button undone, and then tugged on a new ANBU shirt, pulling the cloth mask back up over his face.

The water was part of Iruka’s nature, so he returned to the edge of the spiral, kneeling close to it, but not enough to get splashed. Then he began to meditate.

After a while he was distantly aware of the sound of pattering rain, probably falling through the opening in the roof. The water in the channel began to grow louder with the extra volume as it rushed along, but Iruka ignored it, focusing internally. He felt a ripple in the barrier as Inu entered, most likely seeking shelter from the rain.

Iruka took a deep breath, his mediation starting to falter as his subconscious focused on Inu instead, seeking him out. He felt the tug of invisible strings, connecting them, knew when Inu paused behind him and began walking slowly toward him, the languid step of a predator focused on his prey. Iruka resisted the urge to twitch; instead felt his breathing change, quicken in response. Inu was silent, moving with graceful stealth, so Iruka didn’t hear him, only felt the strong warmth of Inu’s bare chest as he wrapped his arms around Iruka’s torso from behind and knelt down.

“One day I’ll get you to remove that ANBU shirt,” Inu said, his voice low and intimate in Iruka’s ear. It made Iruka’s pulse jump and a tight ache of want heat his belly. “Lean into me. I’ve got you, Kurohyou.”

Iruka let out a shuddery breath and melted back against Inu’s chest, leaning his head on Inu’s shoulder, exposing his neck. Inu shifted forward until he was pressed fully against Iruka’s back, thighs on either side of Iruka’s. He stroked a palm across Iruka’s stomach, fingers slipping under his shirt to caress his skin. Iruka bit back a moan and swallowed, his throat suddenly dry.

“I’m going to give you as much of me as I can at this time,” Inu whispered into Iruka’s ear. “I will trust you not to cheat and look.”

Iruka was confused, and turned his head until Inu’s wet hair brushed across his nose. He smelt of clean air, and the cold, pure rain of an autumn storm.

“Ah ah,” Inu warned, “Close your eyes. I’ll make it worth your while.”

Iruka made a noise in the back of his throat when Inu removed his hand from Iruka’s stomach, but he turned away, closing his eyes and settling back against his shoulder. He felt Inu shift slightly, and then the sound of porcelain being carefully placed on the stone floor. Iruka licked his lips, panting slightly. He felt the warmth of Inu’s breath across his neck, and a cloth-covered nose push just under his ear, nuzzling into his skin.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Iruka breathed out. Inu had only removed his porcelain mask, but he was putting his faith, his identity, into Iruka’s hands, to trust Iruka not to break his word and look. Iruka doubted he’d ever been this hard in his life and he felt light-headed suddenly with want, with a tight need he couldn’t control. He made another noise and shifted his hips, feeling the press of fabric across his erection from his pants. Inu chuckled, and this time Iruka could _feel_ his breath, rather than just hear the sound through the mask.

Inu’s long fingers rested on his stomach again, pushing at his shirt, dragging his nails over Iruka’s skin. “Inu…” Iruka could hear how his own voice was thick with desire and he felt Inu tense behind him, his hand trembling a little as he smoothed it over Iruka’s belly, moving downward, tracing spirals on his skin, nonsense words. Iruka’s breathing was coming fast; he felt like he couldn’t contain the desire and the emotion pulling at him. It should be embarrassing that he could get this worked up from the thought of Inu without his mask on, but he was past caring. He fisted his hands into Inu’s pants, clenching at the material, holding onto it like a lifeline.

“One touch, Kurohyou.” Inu’s voice was whiskey-rough, just as breathless as Iruka’s. “Tell me you want it, and I’ll give it to you. I want to feel you come apart in my hand.”

Inu was keeping himself still, but Iruka could feel the fine tremors moving through Inu’s body as he fought for control. Iruka realized Inu was just as wound up as he was, was trying to keep it together even as he lost the battle.

Inu’s fingers brushed against Iruka’s belly, teasing at the opening of Iruka’s unbuttoned pants. Iruka needed this, he realized; needed to let go. “Please, Inu.”

Inu growled in Iruka’s ear, nipping at his neck. He swept his hand down, brushing under the fabric of Iruka’s pants, and grasped the base of Iruka’s cock, stroking upward in one firm movement that set all Iruka’s nerve endings on fire in a rush of white-hot need, made the air leave his lungs in a tight rush. He brushed his thumb over the head of Iruka’s cock and then fisted him on the way down. Iruka arched beneath Inu’s touch, the force of his orgasm at that single touch making him cry out, loud enough to be heard over the rain and the rushing water.

“Fuck, you’re sexy when you come like that,” Inu panted. He stroked Iruka with a loose fist, not enough to make it uncomfortable, instead skillfully keeping Iruka hard. Iruka slumped into Inu’s shoulder, a mess of desire, unable to think properly. He felt Inu remove his hand, pushing at his pants, slipping them down past his hips. Inu trailed his hand lightly over Iruka’s sensitive thighs, down across his balls, circling his hole with fingers still slick with Iruka’s come.

Iruka rolled his hips, arching his back and then pressing back against the hard brand of Inu’s erection. The thought of Inu’s long, thick cock, deep in his ass, fucking him, was irresistible. Inu played with Iruka, pushing gently at his hole, slipping the tip of his finger inside, pulling back again. It was frustrating but _oh so good_ , and Iruka found a rhythm, grinding down against Inu’s cloth-covered erection, teasing him just as much in return as Inu fucked him slowly with his fingers.

Inu had apparently had enough of the game, because he pushed Iruka forward onto his hands for a moment, long enough to free his own cock. Iruka felt the slick head of Inu’s erection against his hole, teasing, before he pressed forward slowly. Iruka pushed out, letting Inu in, felt Inu grasp his hips and guide him back smoothly onto his length, until he was buried balls deep in Iruka’s ass. Iruka shifted, settling further down on Inu’s lap, until his cock was so deep the pleasure was almost overwhelming.

“Move, please,” Iruka half-begged through panting breaths.

Inu obliged, pulling out just enough to thrust back in, fucking Iruka slowly, hands digging into Iruka’s hips to hold him in place, to make sure he couldn’t move, could only take what Inu had to give. Iruka reached up, twisting his fingers in Inu’s damp hair, tugging. Inu moaned, leaning into Iruka’s touch, his movements uncoordinated for a moment. It seemed he liked having his hair pulled, and Iruka filed that piece of information away for later. Inu’s breath was coming fast, and he pushed his nose into Iruka’s neck, nuzzling against his ear. Iruka shivered, clenching around Inu’s cock, profanity spilling from his lips.

Inu moved then, roughly pushing Iruka forward onto his elbows, driving his cock deeper with the new angle. Iruka cried out, the hot slide of pleasure tightening in his belly, his balls. His fingers clenched against the flagstones and he hung his head, letting Inu do what he would, ride him deep and slow, each thrust a new layer of pleasure, one after the other, building, pushing him toward another mind-bending orgasm.

It was too much; too good, so perfect, every stroke of Inu’s cock a brand of ownership that Iruka welcomed, arching his back, begging for release with every line of his body, every word that spilled from his mouth.

Inu’s hands gripped his hips as he increased the pace, blunt nails digging in with sweet pain, just what Iruka needed. He smoothed one hand up across Iruka’s back, his fingers pulling at Iruka’s shirt, exposing just a sliver of bare skin at the nape of his exposed neck, his cloth-covered teeth nipping at Iruka’s neck. It was too much sensation; Iruka was on overload with the thought that Inu’s lips, his mouth was _almost_ on Iruka’s skin, just a breath away.

“Come with me, Kurohyou,” Inu gasped. “Come for me. Now.”

Iruka felt Inu tremble, hips stuttering, his timing lost to the first wave of orgasm, and Iruka clenched hard around his cock, drawing a muffled cry from Inu. Iruka squeezed his eyes closed, couldn’t hold back, and he wrapped a hand around his own cock and stroked rough and hard, coming again on Inu’s next deep thrust with a shout, his cock pulsing, his come painting the flagstones beneath him. Inu pulled him backward with shaking hands until Iruka was resting in his lap, leaning against his chest. He wrapped a hand over Iruka’s, stroking in time until Iruka couldn’t take the intense pleasure anymore and began to squirm, placing his hand over Inu’s and stilling his movements.

Neither moved, content for the moment to just be with each other. Iruka stared at the ceiling, into the blackness, because if he didn’t, he’d be tempted to look at Inu’s cloth-covered face, to try to see the outline of his features, to want the touch of his lips on his skin. Iruka knew he couldn’t have that; for Inu to trust him to take off his porcelain mask was more than enough, and Iruka would be content with that. For now, Iruka would take what he could, so he stood up, pulled up his pants, and looked away while Inu replaced his mask. Then, he held out a hand and drew Inu toward his sleeping bag, tugging him wordlessly between the blankets. Words could wait for tomorrow, because now, to speak would break the spell and Iruka wasn’t ready for that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka channeled chakra to his feet, measuring it carefully. It was a ridiculous thing to say he was becoming adept at crossing the sea by foot, but as long as you moved with the swell of the waves, it was no different than negotiating a fast flowing river. He breathed deeply of the salt air, moving to his left a little to keep pace with Inu as they negotiated a tricky section of water. The current here was deep, pulling ever closer to the Maelstrom, but this time they were on the south side of it, taking the shorter route directly back to Fire Country. Iruka was reluctant to leave Uzushio, but he refused to look back, to see the home of his ancestors dwindle into the purple distance, like a memory. He vowed he would come back, if only to find the truth, at some point in the future. He thought of the single scroll he had found, tucked away in one of his pockets. It bore the name of Umino, and he’d found it, of all places, in the secret room below the Uzumaki temple, jumbled in with other documents that might be of use to both Konoha and Naruto when he was older.

Inu let out a shrill whistle, drawing his attention back to the task at hand. Iruka had been drifting left, lost in his thoughts. He corrected his path, swinging in an arc until he was beside Inu again.

“Something bothering you?” Inu asked.

Iruka shook his head. “Just thinking. What’s the plan?”

“We make straight for Konoha. It’s two days from the coast as the crow flies, but we need to get this information back. Can you make it?”

“Should be fine. We have energy pills, and a good night’s sleep to get us started.”

Inu sighed dramatically and gazed at the sky before fixing his masked face back on Iruka. “Ah, nothing like a good eight hours of sleep after wearing each other out with a really good fucking.”

“I should kill you,” Iruka said, trying to keep the laugh out of his voice.

“Now, now, Kurohyou. Priorities.”

Iruka hove sharply to the right, directly across Inu’s path, and kicked out with his foot. Inu went down in an ungraceful tangle of limbs, although he somehow managed to remain on the surface of the water. Iruka listened to him splutter, but kept running, knowing there was no way in hell he’d actually have been able to do that unless Inu had let him. Still, it made him feel better.

He was glad when, two hours later, his feet touched the sand. He ran, Inu behind him, into the vast forests of Fire Country, leaving behind the mournful scream of the seagulls, drifting on the wind like ghosts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“We should stop soon,” Iruka suggested. “There’s no moonlight to see by, and I can barely see my hand in front of my face.”

“Agreed.” Inu slowed, Iruka matching his pace, then they both came to rest on a wide branch. Inu stepped close to Iruka, leaning into his space. “We’re being tracked.”

“I noticed. About an hour now. How many do you sense?”

Inu appeared to be thinking. “Enough chakra for a genin team with a chuunin captain.”

Iruka nodded. “Except they’ve been keeping pace at ANBU speed with us.” He drew a kunai and flipped it in his hand. “Whoever it is has dampened their chakra, so we have no idea if we’re dealing with a bunch of powerhouses or not, or if they’re friendly. How do you want to handle this?”

“I’ll send a clone with you. They’ve slowed their pace, so they’re aware we’ve stopped. You have the scrolls from Uzushio, so it’s important you make it to Konoha. I’ll draw them off with a distraction. Meantime, can you dampen down your chakra?”

Iruka nodded. There was no point in arguing; Inu was right. Iruka had to be the one to make it back home with all the evidence they’d collected. He concentrated, using an old genin technique taught to him by his father: imagine your chakra is a candle and draw the energy in until it’s a tiny, almost invisible flame, giving off little heat and light, barely noticeable. He sighed as he released his focus. “Will this do?”

“Good.” Inu let his chakra flare, bright enough for two, overwhelming for a moment. “Now get moving.”

Iruka nodded and jumped higher into the canopy, the clone for company. He moved in a wide circle for a few miles, aiming to avoid the chakra that was originally tracking them. “Damn it,” Iruka hissed to the clone, “they’re onto us. They’ve split into two groups.”

The clone nodded, dropping down to a lower level, and Iruka followed. “My original is moving to intercept. We should go to ground level; it’ll be easier to outrun our pursuers from there.”

They ran, side by side, weapons ready, for hours, weaving through the trees. Iruka had to trust to Inu’s clone, as he was unfamiliar with this part of Fire Country. The clone seemed to know his way around, leading Iruka through the undergrowth without error. “They have him. My original is engaging the first group and the second is moving to intercept, away from us.”

Iruka took a deep breath and released it slowly. He didn’t want to think of Inu engaging the enemy alone, in unknown circumstances, with an unknown number of opponents. He had to remind himself Inu was skilled; he knew what he was doing, even in a hard pressed fight.

“Stop.” The clone held up his hand. “Message from the original: Konoha. Return in this direction. Inu.”

Iruka slowed and came to a stop. “Why the hell are we being intercepted by Konoha shinobi?”

The clone shook its head. “Unknown. The original is not broadcasting beyond the message I just received. I will accompany you back to the group.”

“Fine, lead the way. If I trip over any roots because I can’t see in the dark, I will kill your original.”

“Noted, Kurohyou.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka moved closer to the rendezvous point, the clone keeping pace, always moving slightly behind and right of Iruka, protecting his side. Despite Inu’s assurance that their trackers were Konoha shinobi, it would have been stupid to rush in with open arms, especially since Iruka was carrying the bulk of the intel from Uzushio, most of which they hadn’t even looked at, deciding it was safer to do so back in Konoha.

“They’re just ahead.”

Iruka nodded, slowing his pace to a walk, crouching behind a bush with the clone at his side. Inu was crouched down next to three shinobi whose identities Iruka couldn’t make out at this distance. One was an ANBU, from the outline of the mask; the other two were unknown. Iruka watched as the original Inu turned his head, sensing his clone, and he slowly rose to his feet. Iruka noted his katana was still sheathed, so he wasn’t under duress, or it would have been confiscated.

“I’m being recalled,” the clone said matter-of-factly, and it disappeared in a puff of smoke.

_No time like the present_ , Iruka muttered, rising to his feet. He walked toward the group, assessing strengths, noting weapons, anything that might be useful should this all go south. Then he recognized Ibiki.

“Ibiki-san,” he acknowledged.

Ibiki stood at parade rest, hands behind his back, but offered no greeting. After a few moments he said, “When the tree leaves dance, one shall find flames.”

Shit _had_ hit the fan, then. Ibiki was quoting the Sandaime’s favourite speech; it was a code used between shinobi to verify a Leaf nin’s allegiance, and would not have been known to outsiders. “The Fire’s shadow will illuminate the village, and once again, tree leaves shall bud anew,” Iruka replied, finishing the phrase.

“Good.” Ibiki seemed to relax. “Stand down, Kurohyou.”

“Forgive me, Ibiki-san, but what the hell is going on?” Iruka said.

“Not here,” Ibiki replied. He waved the two remaining Leaf nin forward and they stepped out of the shadows. The ANBU he instantly recognized by the cat mask, while Yamanaka Inoichi he had met on occasion at the Academy, in his role as Ino’s sensei.

“Inoichi-san, Neko-san,” Iruka greeted them with a bow. “I hope you are recovered, Neko-san?”

“Much better, thank you, Kurohyou,” Neko replied. “Shall we move out?”

Iruka fell into place with the group, following Ibiki. It did not escape his notice that the others took up strategic positions around him, so Inu must have informed them what Iruka was carrying. Inu was behind him, so Iruka couldn’t ask him where they were going. It was frustrating, along with the fact that Iruka wanted to know why Ibiki of all people had formed a personal greeting party and was out here, instead of working on the problem of a potential invasion back in Konoha.

After a further hour of travel, just toward dawn, they came across a cleverly hidden narrow rock passageway, which they moved through, single file, until it widened out into a small clearing surrounded by trees. Iruka felt wards brush over his skin like electricity, and then he saw what he could only describe as a small chalet-like building, two stories high, nestled against the base of a rocky escarpment. It was easily defensible, having the rock wall at its back and sides. If anyone was going to attack, they would only have one angle of approach, from directly ahead.

“Did you build this with your Mokuton, Neko?” Iruka asked, coming to a stop in front of the entrance.

Neko nodded. “About three years ago. It’s one of a group of ANBU waystations that circle Konoha, about a day’s journey from the village.”

“Inside.” Ibiki stalked toward the door, forming hand signs as he moved. Iruka heard the door unlock and crossed over the threshold, more wards brushing against his skin. He looked around; the first floor had a seating area, and a door to what must be a basic kitchen in the rear. Stairs went up the left side to the first floor, with a balcony and three doors off that, probably sleeping rooms. It was basic, but comfortable.

Ibiki paused in the middle of the seating area and faced Iruka and Inu. He stared at both of them, face grim. “I have a lot of information to impart, but first, we have to make sure that neither of you are compromised. The last team we sent to Uzushio, as you know, went dark. We need to make sure beyond doubt that you are who you say you are. You will submit to Inoichi-san and he will scan your minds for any tampering by the enemy.”

Iruka nodded, noticing Inu do the same. Iruka wasn’t going to lie, the thought of someone poking around in his head was not pleasant, but it had to be done. Konoha must be protected at all costs, and at least Inoichi was the best at mind techniques and knew what he was doing.

“Kurohyou, you’ll go first. Neko-san will accompany you.” Iruka correctly read the threat behind that statement: Neko was there in case he was a sleeper, and would take appropriate action.

“Understood.” Iruka followed Inoichi up the staircase, Neko a solid presence at his back. Inoichi entered the first room and Iruka heard Neko shut the door. He swallowed, mouth dry, although he knew he had nothing to fear.

“Be seated, Kurohyou-san,” Inoichi said.

Iruka complied, dropping to the floor and sitting cross-legged. Neko stood by the door, effectively blocking it, hands loose at his sides, the epitome of the perfect ANBU; at ease but ready for action. Inoichi sat in front of Iruka, mirroring his position. “Kurohyou, I am going to reach out, into your mind. Usually I would do this while the subject is unconscious, as it makes it easy to navigate any blocks thrown up by genjutsu and other mind-control techniques. As it is, we are in the field, and I don’t have any of the usual technology available. I need you to open your mind and give me full access, willingly.”

Iruka nodded. “What do I need to do?”

“Keep your mind open and as empty of thoughts as you can. You need to consciously drop any and all blocks you might normally have in place. I understand this could be potentially traumatizing, but it is necessary.”

“Okay, I’ll do my best.”

Inoichi smiled. “Remove your mask please, I need direct contact with you.”

“Inoichi-san? I am not trying to be difficult, but this directly contravenes the rules of the _Oinin Butai_.” Iruka glanced up at Neko. “No offense, Neko.”

“None taken,” Neko replied gravely.

Inoichi fished around in his pocket, and pulled out a small scroll, handing it to Iruka. He unrolled it, scanning the document quickly. A direct order from the Godaime, ordering Iruka to cooperate with all requests from either Ibiki or Inoichi, no matter what they were. Iruka reached up, took a breath, and removed his panther mask. “Please proceed, Inoichi-san.”

“Very well. Close your eyes, Kurohyou, and open your mind.”

Iruka felt a warm palm touch his forehead, soft and firm. Nothing happened for a few seconds, and he shifted on the tatami mat, trying to get comfortable. Then he felt it; the only way to describe it was like a warm tendril of light, breaking through the darkness behind his eyes. He forced himself to remain calm as the tendril grew, splashing light across the backs of his eyelids in a wash of golden color. Iruka opened his mind, laid himself bare, because this was for Konoha, and his Will of Fire ran deep enough to expose all his secrets to someone he didn’t know well, but trusted.

Iruka was not sure how much time passed; he tried to keep a clear mind, but it was hard not to let his thoughts wander, to wonder what part of his psyche Inoichi was poking around in. Whenever Inoichi found something of interest, the warm tendril changed until it felt like sandpaper, dragging across his mind. Iruka wondered what he was looking at.

_[Saru?]_

Iruka started, not expecting Inoichi to speak, let alone in his head.

_[Inoichi?]_ Iruka asked.

_[Yes. You found Saru, back in Uzushio?]_

Iruka winced as Inoichi picked around his memories of Saru, dissecting them. The sandpaper felt like a sharp blade now, and Iruka fought not to scream.

_[My apologies, Kurohyou.]_ Inoichi’s voice sounded raw, shaky. _[We thought she was killed in action. I had no idea that she’d been -]_

Iruka took a deep breath. _[Inoichi-san, there is much to discuss from our trip to Uzushio. Please allow me to do so in person, and not like this.]_

There was a reluctant pause. _[Agreed.]_

Inoichi pulled back and Iruka breathed a sigh of relief as he felt the man leave his mind. “You are clear, Kurohyou. Thank you for your time.”

Iruka searched Inoichi’s face, noting the grim look, the tightness of his mouth, eyes strained with tension. Iruka had no doubt Inoichi had poked around enough to see in full detail what had befallen his clan-member, had seen what Inu had done to relieve her pain and suffering. He would have seen that she had died well, as a shinobi, and seen Iruka’s vow of vengeance.

Iruka picked up his mask and slipped it over his face, settling it in place. “Should I send up Inu?”

“Please.”

Iruka padded down the stairs, feeling a little unsteady. “Inu, Inoichi-san asked that you go upstairs.”

Inu nodded, passing him at the bottom of the stairs, brushing fingers across the inside of Iruka’s wrist. It was at that moment that Iruka suddenly realized Inoichi had had access to all his memories. _All of them_. And the ones with Inu would be the newest, the ones that shined brightest and with the most emotion.

_Shit_ , Iruka thought. At least Inoichi had stayed professional and hadn’t actually said anything about it.

Iruka seated himself on the nearest futon, glad that the mask hid his most un-ANBU-like blush from Ibiki.

 


	9. Chapter 9

Iruka placed his empty bowl on the floor, next to the futon. His stomach felt full for the first time in days, and he could feel warmth spreading throughout him as his body absorbed the nutrients. Hot rice, while bland, was a welcome change from ration bars. _I’d probably kill for some ramen right about now_ , he thought.

Ibiki was talking with Inu in the kitchen, and Inoichi and Neko were outside, setting up perimeter traps. Iruka tugged his mask back into place and gave serious thought to just passing out there. His body was exhausted, and even though he and Inu had slept back in Uzushio, it had been close to thirty-six hours since then. The thought of having Inu’s lean, muscled body pressed warm against his made him long for privacy, but it was clear that something was brewing on the horizon. Something big enough to warrant Ibiki dragging his ass all the way out here, away from Konoha, on a stealth mission that clearly only the Godaime knew about.

Inoichi and Neko came in through the door, closing and locking it. Iruka raised an eyebrow behind the mask. “Traps set and activated,” Neko said.

“Have a seat,” Ibiki said to the group, sitting across from Iruka on another futon. “Kurohyou, do you have enough chakra reserves for your barrier jutsu?”

“Of course.” Iruka completed the seals and slammed his hand down on the tatami mat in front of him, feeling the rush of his chakra pulsing through the ground. The group watched silently as the barrier grew ever upward, until it grazed the ceiling, forming a dome. “I’ve added a dampening field, for privacy.”

“Good.” Ibiki stared at each person in the room, apparently taking their measure. Neko sat on Iruka’s left, with Inoichi next to him, and Inu to Iruka’s right. Ibiki appeared to reach a decision. “I’ve called this council, if you will, to discuss the events unfolding in Konoha. As things stand right now, I have almost nobody I can trust within the ranks of ANBU.”

Iruka sucked in a deep breath. What had happened since they left?

“Inoichi has been pulling in the most useful of our ANBU, checking them over for tampering,” Ibiki continued. “The process, however, is time-consuming and slow, and we cannot afford, at this moment, to bring more individuals in under his command until we know they are clean. This has meant that Inoichi is currently working alone. Neko has been cleared, only because he was in the hospital and recuperating, and not out on a mission.”

“Has something happened in Konoha?” Inu asked.

“Our resident Rock nin was disposed of, once we got everything we could from him,” Ibiki replied. “Ookami and Nezumi were pulled in for questioning. Both were compromised, but had no recollection of what had been done to them or any knowledge of information they might be passing to the enemy.”

“I was able to reverse some of the conditioning placed on them,” Inoichi explained. “However, both are damaged by the experience, and unable to recollect what their missions were. I am continuing to work on it, with their assistance, but it is slow work. At least now I know what I’m looking for when I’m digging around in someone’s head.”

“Maybe we can shed some light on this,” Inu said, his deep baritone cutting through the room. “When we reached Uzushio, we found Tokage. However, it was not what we expected. Tokage is Tatsu’s twin sister. Once she was disposed of, we discovered a base, cut into the basements of the Kage’s tower.”

Inu paused, and Iruka knew he was reliving the horror they had found there. “Rock, working alongside Mist, was brainwashing our shinobi.” Iruka took up where Inu had left off. “It would appear they were attempting to compromise our ANBU and use their bloodline talents against us. If an ANBU cell strayed too close to Uzushio, they were overpowered and taken to the ruins of Whirling Tides. We found many bodies there, left to rot. Not all were Konoha ANBU.”

“Kurohyou, explain,” Ibiki bit out.

“We found the remains of a number of jounin too. I have brought their tags back for identification.”

“Fuck.” Ibiki stood up and started to pace. Clearly sitting still for this conversation was too much for him. “This changes _everything_ ,” Ibiki said. “Not only do I have an unknown number of sleeper agents amongst my ANBU, you are telling me it’s possible that our jounin are also compromised?”

“You’ll have to check all mission logs when we get back to Konoha,” Inu suggested. “The only way to tell with certainty who is possibly a traitor will be by that route. Any shinobi that undertook an A- or S-Rank mission that was within spitting distance of Uzushio in the last couple of years is suspect.”

“By the God of Death’s balls,” Ibiki muttered, pinching his nose between his fingers.

“Rock is playing a long game, with Mist along for the ride,” Iruka said. “Judging by the evidence we found, it would appear that they’ve been working on this strategy for over a decade, although the actual execution of the plan has only been in process during the last couple of years.”

“The last time Rock tried this with Mist’s help was thirty years ago,” Ibiki said, starting to pace again. “The attempted invasion of Suna fell apart under poor planning, so it looks like they learned their lesson the hard way. We have to assume they are taking no chances, collecting as much inside information as they can, while they can. And they are doing that with sleeper agents.”

“Do we assume, then, that the list of the original seven Rock ANBU codenames from Tatsu’s scroll are our shinobi, or is this a list of Rock ANBU as we first hypothesized?” Neko asked. “How many sleeper agents do we have within the village?”

“It is currently impossible to tell,” Ibiki said. “With the amount of bloodline talent Konoha has, even a couple of jounin or ANBU on the loose working against us would cause catastrophic damage, both to the village itself and our civilians.” He paused. “And now I have to find a way to pull almost every ANBU and jounin off missions until we can be sure they aren’t working against us.”

“This is what Rock wants,” Inu said, the surety growing in his voice. “They mean for us to use chuunin and genin to defend the village should an invasion proceed. They want us paranoid enough to keep all A- and S-Rank shinobi at home, for fear of an inside coup.”

“Then the first thing we do,” Iruka interrupted, “is search the records, find out where our shinobi were and have been in the last couple of years, and remove those from duty who’ve been close to the borders of Fire Country and Uzushio, and possibly Hot Springs.”

“Lightning are probably not involved,” Neko said. “They are still lying low after the whole Hyuuga incident. It’s still fresh in their minds and they won’t want to be seen aiding other Countries with a grudge against Fire.”

“Agreed,” Ibiki said, pausing to stare at the ceiling. “Inoichi, you’ll need to involve other people in the Intelligence department. Pull in other Yamanaka if you have to, but make sure your team is clean first and foremost. Then we can start looking at the ANBU and jounin that have been flagged.”

“How much of this does the Godaime know?” Inu asked.

“Not nearly the half of it.” Ibiki resumed his pacing. “Inoichi, I will need you to use your Mind Body Transformation Technique to help me to contact Tsunade-sama via telepathic communication. We cannot risk having this conversation in person, back in Konoha. We must maintain all appearances that everything is normal and the Hokage will be pivotal in presenting that role.”

Inu nodded. “While also not alerting any spies in the vicinity that we know what is going on.”

“Exactly. Inu, Kurohyou, get some rest. I’ll have a decision before you leave as to what your roles will be in this.”

“Understood.” Iruka knew a dismissal when he heard it. “Shall I release the barrier or leave it up?”

“Can you leave it up over night?” Ibiki asked. “I have much to discuss with Inoichi-san.”

Iruka stood up, bowing to the group. Inu followed him, up the stairs, pausing at the doorway to the second room, in which Iruka had placed his bedroll. “Do you want to come in?” Iruka asked.

Inu seemed to hesitate, glancing over the balcony toward Ibiki. “…I would like to,” he said after a moment.

Iruka laughed softly. “Inoichi has dug thoroughly through both our minds, and has not mentioned anything. I think you can trust him to keep the secret. Plus, I’m pretty sure both Ibiki and Neko are already aware.”

“A valid point,” Inu replied, reaching out to stroke his fingers down Iruka’s arm. “I need...”

“Sleep,” Iruka finished. “As much as I would like to grab you by the hair and have you fuck me senseless, I don’t think I could manage much at the moment.”

Inu made a strangled sort of noise in his throat at Iruka’s comment. Iruka grinned behind the mask.

“Sleep then,” Inu finally conceded. “That would be pleasant.”

Iruka took Inu by the hand, pulled him through the door, and slid it closed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Rise and shine, ladies!!”

Ibiki’s voice had a way of carrying, Iruka thought, especially when he was standing just outside the room. Iruka could just make out Ibiki’s looming shadow through the paper of the shoji screen, before the door was slid violently open. His amused grin was enough to make Iruka want to swear; instead he rolled onto his back and sighed from behind the mask.

“Morning, Ibiki-sama!” Inu chirped, sitting up and crossing his legs, looking attentive. “What’s the plan for another exciting day with ANBU?”

“Fuck off, Inu,” Ibiki scowled, crossing his arms. “If you weren’t one of my best operatives, I’d have probably stabbed you the first time you did that. You sound like a twelve year-old girl.”

“I do it just to annoy him,” Inu said, in a stage whisper. “He hates it.”

Ibiki slammed the door closed and Iruka could hear him stomping down the stairs. “I want you both up in five!” he yelled.

“Did you really just do that?” Iruka said, trying to stop his mouth from hanging open behind his mask. “Are you fucking really that crazy?”

“We’ve known each other for years,” Inu explained. “We know each other’s weak points, where to dig in the knife, and when not to. Besides, he expects me to mess with his head on occasion. It’s fun.”

“Fun,” Iruka deadpanned. “You _are_ crazy.”

“But Kurohyou, that’s why you like me, no?” Inu leaned closer, head to one side.

“Just tell me one thing, Inu. Is the crazy catching, or am I already infected?”

Inu laughed, throwing his head back. “Sorry, Kurohyou, the deed is already done. Get used to it.”

“Well, shit.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Inoichi and I have already talked this over.” Ibiki stood in the center of the seating area, staring first at Inu and then at Kurohyou. “The plan is as follows: we’ll be splitting into two teams on the way back to Konoha. Kurohyou, you’ll be with me, partly so I don’t have to kill that mangy mutt in the dog mask over there, but mainly because you are carrying most of the intel from Uzushio.” He paused, waiting for Iruka to nod agreement, then he focused on Inu. “Inu, you’re with Neko and Inoichi. You and Neko will provide backup and protection for Inoichi. We need him back in Konoha alive at all and any cost; he’s the only one currently with the ability to at least be able to combat some of the effects of the brainwashing on the sleepers. He _must_ make it back to Konoha; do what needs to be done. Questions?”

“Do you have a route in mind for each group?” Iruka asked. “I’m not very familiar with this part of Fire Country, and if you want me as protection detail our group should go along a route I know well.”

“You misunderstand me, Kurohyou,” Ibiki said gravely. “I’m the one backing you up. You have the intel and it’s keyed to your chakra only; therefore, _you_ need to make it back to Konoha. In this case I’m expendable, and I will do everything within my power to make sure you get home.”

“Understood, Ibiki-sama.”

“Inu, Neko. How familiar are you with the north side of Fire Country? I’ll take Kurohyou back along the south side, since we both know it better.”

“That is acceptable, Ibiki-san,” Neko replied. “We’ll swing wide of Otufuku Gai and keep to the forests.”

“Remember, that is where we ran into our original Rock nin,” Iruka cautioned. “There could well be more of them out there that we don’t know about.”

“Noted. Thank you Kurohyou,” Neko said with a slight nod of his head.

“Anything else?” Ibiki asked. “Very well, then. Both teams should aim to be back as quickly as possible. I want to meet with everyone at T & I on their return. May the soles of your feet be firm.”

“And yours, Ibiki-san,” Inoichi said, signaling to Neko and Inu.

Iruka watched as they left the building, pausing for a moment in the clearing outside, before they all scattered, blurs of black against the morning sunlight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ibiki led them on a convoluted, winding path through the forests, using the streams to mask their scent and trails from any potential enemy. He may spend most of his time inside Konoha working in T & I, Iruka thought, but it was clear Ibiki hadn’t lost his edge, or his ability to sense danger. They paused for a few hours’ rest during the darkest part of the night, but as soon as the thin sliver of new moon rose, they set off again. Still, it was late morning when they arrived in Konoha, making straight for the ANBU buildings on top of the Hokage Mountain. Inu, Neko and Inoichi arrived a couple of hours later, slipping silently into Ibiki’s office.

Iruka put up another barrier while Ibiki drew the blinds on the window. “Okay, this is how it’s going to work. I’ll sort through the intel Kurohyou has brought back. Inoichi, I want to you to clear as many of your staff as you have to so we can get working on the problem of these sleeper agents.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Inoichi said, crossing his arms and leaning against Ibiki’s desk. “Most of my staff are civilian or chuunin, and none have been on missions lately. Still, I’ll get them checked out and working on the situation.”

“Good. Inu, Neko, you are on guard duty with the Hokage until we have a solid core of ANBU we can trust again. Kurohyou, you’ve got clearance to the personnel archives; I’ll need you to do the grunt work and check mission logs against those that recently have been near Hot Springs, Uzushio and the borders of Fire Country. Understood?”

Iruka bowed. “I’ll be in Archives, then,” he said.

“Dismissed.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka hated menial task work; not because it was time consuming, but because it was boring. He was locked in one of the Archive research rooms, scrolls and papers littered everywhere, trying to make lists and cross-reference them, and in some cases, just plain guess who might be compromised. He would have enjoyed Inu’s company, because Inu was good at finding the right questions to ask, to help Iruka work through the problem. And it never hurt to have someone hot and sexy to look at either, Iruka thought with a grin.

He’d been there for hours, and it was close to sometime in the evening he reckoned, because he’d heard the day staff leave a while back, and the main reception area had gone quiet.

So far he’d been through most of the mission reports for the three Countries Ibiki had specified. He’d started his list with over a hundred ANBU and jounin, narrowing it down further to missions completed during the last two years. Then, he’d removed anyone who had completed a successful mission with no mishaps. Now he was left with the remainder; those ANBU and jounin whose missions had run into some kind of problem; either their squad had gone dark for a period of time, or a teammate had been killed or had gone missing in action. Iruka was about to cross off those that were listed as KIA or MIA, but on second thought started a separate list with those names. Either their body had been in one of the cells, and if not, they might possibly be actively working for the enemy if the brainwashing had been successful.

Iruka took a deep breath and flopped back into the soft cushions of the couch. He had a lot of names on those two lists. The list of MIA and KIA had fifteen names once he’d crossed off the jounin who bodies they had found in the basement of the Kage’s residence. There had been nine ANBU they couldn’t identify in the cells. Remove those, and this left exactly six names – the same number as Tokage’s list of Rock ANBU.

Iruka swore angrily, fisting the paper in his hand. How could Konoha have missed this? How could so many go missing and nobody on the mission desk had put two and two together? The answer stared him hard in the face: the person filing the A- and S-Rank mission reports was himself a sleeper.

Ookami.

Iruka leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and stared at the floor, blinking, willing his rage away. The tatami swam in and out of focus as he tried to center himself. After a few moments, he carefully smoothed out the paper and set it to the side. Getting angry wasn’t going to fix this.

He turned his attention to the other list he’d made: those jounin and ANBU on missions that had gone dark for an unspecified period of time. This list would be currently the most important; the potential sleepers. There were seventeen names, a smaller list than Iruka had expected, but that gave him hope. Ibiki and Inoichi’s job would be a lot easier with a smaller number of ANBU and jounin to pull in and check for tampering. Iruka scanned the list quickly, double checking his information. There were two names on there that he wished weren’t, two names that he knew for different reasons, both to do with his students. He pulled off his porcelain mask, knowing the door was locked, and scrubbed at his face. He knew he had to report this, for the village’s sake and for the sake of clearing two very well-known jounin.

Nara Shikaku and Hatake Kakashi.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It must have been close to two in the morning when Iruka tracked Ibiki down in his residence. He knocked once and waited. After a few moments he heard the door being unlocked; shinobi, even off duty, rarely made a sound. Ibiki looked tired, as Iruka probably did.

“Kurohyou.” Ibiki didn’t have to add _this had better be good_.

Wordlessly, Iruka handed Ibiki both scrolls and waited while he looked them over. He watched Ibiki’s face change with a series of emotion; stoic resignation, surprise and then utter disbelief. He glared at Iruka, daring him to refute what was on the lists. Iruka didn’t speak; there were no wards to protect them, to shelter them from eavesdroppers.

“Kurohyou, you are dismissed. Wait for my word.”

Iruka nodded. “Ibiki-san.” Iruka turned, ready to walk away.

“Thank you for your hard work,” Ibiki said gruffly.

To Iruka’s ears, it sounded more like a death knell than a thank you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka spent the next day pottering around his apartment. He did laundry. He ate and washed the dishes. He cleaned. Around six in the evening, he punched a wall, simply because it made him feel better, and less useless. Then he healed the bruising, repaired the wall, and pulled out the scroll he’d found in Uzushio with his family name on it.

To be honest, Iruka wasn’t sure what to expect. It could be a family recipe for all he knew. Still, there was no time like the present, so he cleared off the coffee table, flopped into his couch (which had seen better days, but was super comfortable) and undid the tie on the scroll. He opened it slowly, allowing his mind to process the contents in readable chunks. Then he unrolled it completely and used a couple of books to hold it down so he could view it in its entirety.

The scroll contained some very interesting information regarding sealing jutsu. He traced his fingers over the parchment, admiring the penmanship, wondering who might have written it. The scroll’s border was ornate, and the more he looked, the more jumped out at him. Waves in blue ink; the sigil for Uzushio, in one corner a tiny boat with fishermen, along the bottom, a woman in a black kimono, long hair flowing with the waves, while dolphin jumped behind her. Iruka smiled; amused to see a representation of his name in the scroll.

Iruka had been taught fuinjutsu by his father from an early age. One of the first basic lessons he had learnt was invaluable and the basis for all other fuinjutsu he had learnt or created over the years. Fuinjutsu – the art of sealing – was just that. A seal was essentially a container, and it could hold anything, be it man, plant, thing, or thought. The beauty in a well-crafted seal was what happened when you broke the seal, what you released to the world. Iruka had perfected his container scroll early on, which he used on Hunter missions, both to store the head of his target, and on occasion – especially recently – to store sensitive documents. The seal itself was simply a container; one that didn’t conform to the laws of psychics or space. He could put anything he liked in it as size and volume didn’t matter. In essence, the place he stored things was simply a small pocket dimension beholden only to him. It was similar to the place where all summoned animals came from.

The scroll before him contained knowledge, and Iruka was ashamed to say that, while he’d spent a lot of his teenage years being remarkably creative with the application of seals, he’d never actually thought of this. The suggestion was so simple, so obvious, it had never occurred to him.

It was instructions on how to create a seal to contain chakra, to be released when needed. He would be able to store some of his chakra ahead of time, to be released at a later date. Iruka let out a deep sigh, letting his breath flow smoothly, because this was _exciting_. This single seal could do so much; it could be the difference between life and death, between a last ditch, suicidal stand and the ability to have enough chakra to use another jutsu.

He grabbed a blank scroll and a brush and ink, rereading the instructions while he mixed water on the ink pad. Then he set about following the diagrams, determined to see if he could recreate what the author intended.

If it was successful – well then, it would be something that would give Konoha ninja an extra chance in a tough situation. It had to be tested first on paper, however, and then on himself.

Iruka barely noticed the hours passing, until he realized the sun was pushing the horizon, bathing the rooftops of Konoha with sharp, yellow light.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ibiki was back to pacing his office, although to Iruka, he seemed a little more relaxed. Inu stood next to Iruka, hands at his sides. After a few moments of silence, the door opened and Inoichi appeared, leading a second shinobi; an Aburame, Iruka reckoned, judging by the sunglasses. He had long brown hair, loose except for two braids, one on either side of his face, and wore a Konoha flak jacket and a black shirt with long sleeves that came down past his fingertips.

“Should I put up a barrier?” Iruka asked.

“Not necessary,” Ibiki replied, pausing in his pacing. “Inoichi’s been working his way through his staff, and they’ve been cleared. We’ve cleared a number of other shinobi crucial to our task, and I’ve had a permanent blackout barrier erected around my office. We should be able to converse freely, and anyone not inside the barrier will see only darkness, so we need not be concerned about spies lip-reading.”

“Understood.”

“Let’s address some things first,” Ibiki continued. “Inu, to get you up to speed, Kurohyou was able to provide me two lists, gleaned from information from the Archives. One was a list of potential Rock ANBU, which seem to be a number of our Konoha ANBU that were listed as either MIA or KIA. The location of these ANBU is currently unknown, since we had no reason to doubt the mission reports filed upon their teams’ return. The other contains a list of potential sleepers. Two individuals on the list were particularly shocking; Hatake Kakashi and Nara Shikaku.”

Inu shifted, and Iruka wondered how he must feel for a moment. It was likely Inu had worked with one or both in the past, and both were pillars of the shinobi community.

“I don’t envy either of them the headache after that interrogation,” Inu drawled.

Ibiki resumed pacing, turning crisply on his heel to address his audience. “I had Hatake pulled in yesterday morning and checked out by Inoichi; he’s clear, although I had to deal with a full hour of bitching afterward, justified or not. Unfortunately, it would appear that Nara Shikaku is a sleeper agent. This puts me in an impossible situation, but one I have to uphold. I called this meeting after speaking with the Godaime and we have assessed the circumstances and come up with a plan of action. Inoichi?”

Inoichi took a step forward. “This is Aburame Yori,” he explained. “He’s been extremely useful during the last couple of days. After speaking with Godaime-sama, Ibiki and I decided that we would plant our sleepers with bugs. Literally.”

Inu shifted, like he found the thought abhorrent but wasn’t going to admit it.

“Why bugs?” Iruka asked. “What does this accomplish?”

“If I may?” Yori spoke with a soft voice, reminding Iruka very much of his ex-student, Shino. “It was decided that an Aburame specialist would implant our sleepers with a specific type of bug, one that senses chakra. The current theory, put forward by Inoichi-san after examining the minds of those affected, is that my bugs will be able to detect a shift in chakra should one of the sleepers be awoken. That bug will be able to communicate with me via the hive mind, and I will be able to pinpoint the location of the sleeper and alert Ibiki-sama before any damage can be done.”

“Wait,” Inu said, slashing a hand to the side. “I can’t believe you think this will actually work.”

“Explain, Inu,” Ibiki barked.

“Surely it would be better practice to confine the sleepers until we can deactivate whatever is controlling them? Leaving them to wander around, unharmed? You’re putting the village, and its citizens at risk. Think of the damage Nara Shikaku could do in a short period of time with his _Kage no Jutsu_ and his pharmaceutical knowledge alone.”

“I have to agree,” Iruka replied. Surely Ibiki couldn’t be serious?

“The point is moot, as the Hokage has already agreed to this,” Ibiki replied. “Consider the topic off the table, and no longer up for discussion. In fact, this was never a discussion in the first place. Are we clear?” Ibiki glared at both Iruka and Inu, waiting for their nods of agreement. “Yori, continue.”

“During the procedure to implant all our sleepers with the bugs, I came across something fascinating and yet disturbing at the same time. It appears all our sleepers are already implanted with other bugs – Aburame bugs – and that is what is controlling them. Their will is being subverted and certain inhibitions – those that go against their regular behavior – are being suppressed.”

Inu grunted and somehow managed to make it sound surprised.

“Are you saying we have a rogue Aburame?” Iruka said.

“Not here in the village,” Ibiki said. “After talking with Yori, I consulted Aburame Shibi, the head of the clan. He agrees with Yori’s assessment after examining Nara Shikaku; namely that someone else has the capacity to utilize Aburame clan bugs.”

“I’m not aware of any missing nin in the Aburame clan,” Iruka said. “I definitely have not been called up to search for one.”

Ibiki shook his head. “No, Kurohyou, you haven’t. However, some digging in the archives shows that, during the Second Shinobi World War, an Aburame clan member was taken prisoner by Rock. He was never recovered, and until this time, has been assumed dead.”

“That was over thirty-five years ago,” Inu stated. “I suppose it’s possible he is still alive, being forced to cooperate with the enemy.”

The silence in the room was total as each person sorted through that horrific statement. It happened; shinobi with valuable bloodlines were often targeted within the different Countries. It was unusual, but not unheard of, for enemy nations to force-breed prisoners with bloodline talents, and use the offspring against their enemies. In the past, many such descendants of these unions were targeted and destroyed, mainly to protect the clans’ pure-blood policy.

Iruka felt nauseous at the thought of what that Aburame might have gone through after his capture and incarceration. “Ibiki-san, what you mean to say is that our missing Aburame probably has a son or daughter, indoctrinated into the Rock psyche, working against us.”

“Most likely,” Ibiki snapped.

“Fucking bastards,” Inu said. Iruka couldn’t have agreed more.

“To sum up,” Ibiki continued, “Shibi believes that we may have inadvertently discovered the cause of our sleeper problem. We now believe Rock was looking for one particular Forbidden Jutsu: one that works in tandem with the bugs of the captive Aburame they have. They probably saw a golden opportunity while they were at it to copy all the others they’d borrowed from us.”

“And this forbidden jutsu allows the user to control many subjects, from a distance, using his bugs,” Inoichi said.

“And where does this leave us?” Inu asked.

“This puts us ahead of the game, never doubt that,” Ibiki said, resuming his pacing. “We now know what they were after and why. We know what they intend. We just don’t know when. That will come with time.”

“And meanwhile you are going to let our sleepers wander around the village?” Inu said, apparently determined to push all of Ibiki’s buttons.

“We cannot let Rock realize we know what they are planning, Inu.” Ibiki halted, folding his hands behind his back and staring Inu down. “If we play our cards, start panicking, it’s very likely Rock will push up their timetable and attack now. I need time – _the village needs time_ – to check out our remaining squads, clear them for duty and get them to the borders, be they chuunin, genin, jounin or ANBU. I will _not_ provoke an early war because we panicked, Inu. _Am I clear_?” Ibiki all but shouted the last sentence and Iruka winced behind his mask.

“Totally,” Inu responded, voice devoid of emotion.

“I’m glad we have an accord,” Ibiki bit out. He turned to Iruka. “Kurohyou, you’re on Hokage guard duty tomorrow. Inu, take a day and cool off. Dismissed!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Guard duty was boring. Every shinobi had to do it; they all did missions to protect people or things, they all did turns at the main gate, but Iruka had to say without a doubt that guarding the Hokage was horribly, horribly boring.

Iruka had started at eight, and spent an hour and a half watching Tsunade-sama sleep off last night’s alcohol consumption. Shizune had arrived with Tonton at nine-thirty, and he’d watched from just behind Tsunade’s right shoulder while they went through the days dispatches, carefully avoiding any mention of sleepers, Rock, or Mist. Hatake Kakashi had shown up around noon, jumping through the window behind Iruka, causing Iruka to nearly decapitate him with his katana in surprise. Then the bastard had pulled out a bottle of sake he claimed to have picked up on a recent mission, passed Iruka his copy of Icha Icha Violence to ‘look after’, and spent the next hour having a drink with Tsunade. At least that had been less boring; Iruka watched him closely, but somehow he’d still managed to take the odd sip without removing his mask, or Iruka figuring out how he did it. Eventually, after some inane and fairly random conversation, Hatake left, winking at Iruka on the way out. Iruka went back to staring at the wall; it was preferable to watching Tonton wash his ass, anyway.

A commotion outside later was enough to pull Iruka out of his semi-meditative state and to full wakefulness in an instant, and he moved to the side, closer to Tsunade. The door banged open, ricocheting off the wall, and Izumo appeared, putting out his hand to stop the door hitting him in the face as it snapped backward.

“Godaime-sama!” Izumo shouted. “There’s a – “

The air shimmered for a moment in the centre of the room, and an ANBU appeared, not crouched in the polite position of submission as he should have been, one knee bent and head bowed, but battle ready. He spun around, pulling out his katana and slashed fiercely at Izumo. Izumo was quick; he stepped back, enough to avoid a killing blow but still taking a direct hit, a bloody slice appearing across his vest from shoulder to hip.

Iruka’s killing intent flared even as he moved to intercept, placing himself in front of the Hokage, sword drawn. Izumo was gravely injured – no, his _friend_ was gravely injured – but Iruka also had a job to do, in that he must protect the Hokage at all costs. He cursed Ibiki and his plans, recognizing that this ANBU with the crab mask was one of the sleepers, or in this case, a sleeper no longer. Kani was awake, and out for blood. Iruka wondered how many of them had been awoken; and if they’d triggered more than the one the village was in grave danger.

Iruka watched as Kani began to flash through seals rapidly, his hands almost a blur. The key to figuring out what to counter with was quite often based on a lucky guess; you had to hope you had a nature element to combat the one about to be thrown at you. In this case, Kani had formed signs starting with a tiger seal, so Iruka knew that there was a good possibility that he was going to use fire.

_Shit_ , Iruka thought, _this is an A-rank fire jutsu_. He flashed through seals, never gladder of the fact that he spent a considerable amount of time practicing his seals with his sword in one hand. If he hadn’t of done so, Iruka had no doubt he’d have been fucked.

“ _Katon: kaenhoushaki_!”

Iruka finished his seals just after Kani. Iruka threw up a wall of water at the same time Kani directed his Flamethrower Jutsu toward the Hokage. Both jutsu met in the middle with a violence the room simply couldn’t contain, blowing out the window frames behind the Hokage’s desk, and most of the wall the other way, into the corridor. Iruka felt the super-heated knockback of steam as both jutsu met, trying to cancel each other out. He was glad of his panther mask to protect his face, or he would have likely been burnt.   Kani didn’t waste time; seeing that the jutsu wasn’t going to work, he ran straight at Iruka, sword poised to slash, and Iruka countered, two-handed. He felt the jar of the blow travel up his arm and twisted to protect Tsunade, who was crouched behind the desk, Shizune covering her. Shizune was stronger than she appeared; it was quite likely the Hokage had been forced down by her assistant when she probably would have preferred stepping in to fight.

Clearly Kani could see he’d couldn’t get to the Hokage, so he changed directions, sidestepping Iruka, lashing out again with his sword, which Iruka avoided. Kani jumped to the broken window frame, glanced back at Iruka, and then dropped, down to the ground. Iruka cursed and turned back to Tsunade, who climbed to her feet. She had blood running down one cheek from a cut and she swiped at it absentmindedly.

“Godaime-sama?” Iruka said. “Instructions?”

“Go after Kani,” Tsunade shouted, anger written across her face, golden eyes flashing.

Iruka paused. “Capture or kill?”

Tsunade grimaced. “Capture. He’s still a Konoha shinobi, compromised or not.”

Iruka nodded and turned away. It was then he felt the first insidious trickle of pain in his side; a tight ache that turned rapidly into a sting once his mind acknowledged the injury. Iruka looked down, surprised to find his flak jacket pierced on the left side by a long sliver of wood. He moved, and felt the wood grind into his side, causing his breath to catch in pain. Iruka gritted his teeth and reached down, pulling out the chunk of wood with a sharp tug. He felt the wet trickle of blood soak his black shirt, but the wound wasn’t large enough to worry about. He’d been hurt worse during training. He turned to the window, jumped to the ledge, and then over, dropping the three stories to the ground.

 


	10. Chapter 10

Iruka had wasted valuable time talking with Tsunade-sama, so by the time he dropped to the ground in the courtyard, the assassin was nowhere to be seen. Iruka looked around, checking for signs of anyone panicking, which would be a sure indication of where Kani had gone. Unfortunately, it took a lot to panic a village full of shinobi, and one ANBU moving fast would be viewed without suspicion by the populace, as most would assume the ANBU was on an important mission. A small crowd had gathered, mainly out of curiosity, probably wondering why the windows had been blown out of the Hokage’s office. He ran to the edge of the courtyard and sprung to the nearest roof, then to a telegraph pole, where he crouched, using the high vantage point to see if he could spot his target.

“Maa, Kurohyou-san? Trying to steal electricity from up there?”

Iruka glanced down. _Hatake Kakashi_. He so did not have time for this sort of inane bullshit. With a sigh, Iruka dropped from the pole to the roof, and Hatake jumped up to meet him. He didn’t have his book out, and his one visible eye looked serious.

“Status, Kurohyou-san?” Kakashi glanced at Iruka’s side. Iruka didn’t have to look down to know he was bleeding, and it was probably obvious. Still, Ibiki had cleared Kakashi of being a potential sleeper, and it wouldn’t hurt to have the extra backup right now, especially with so many civilians in danger.

“Kakashi-san, I’m looking for an ANBU in a crab mask. Kani.”

Kakashi frowned. “I saw him heading for the Academy; he was moving fast.”

“He’s just attempted an assassination on the Hokage,” Iruka stated. “I’m tasked with bringing him in.”

“Alive?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll run backup for you.” Kakashi glanced toward the Academy. “Class is still in progress.”

Iruka felt his killing intent flare at the thought of his students in danger, and Kakashi reached out a hand and gripped Iruka’s arm firmly. “Hunter-nin or not, Kurohyou, that killing intent will let him know exactly where you are. Get a hold of yourself.”

Iruka nodded. Kakashi was right; his students were at risk, and he needed to stay focused and clear-headed. “Thank you, Hatake-san.”

Iruka ran along the roofline, keeping close to the wall. He watched as Kakashi dropped to the ground and disappeared through a window with a final wave. Iruka vaulted over a railing, crossing the rooftop arboretum, and then dropped over the side, swinging through an open doorway off of a balcony. He paused; listening for sounds of panicked students. Nothing. It seemed unusually normal. _Think; where would he go? Where would I go if I was being chased by a hunter-nin?_

Iruka took the stairs down to the ground level, moving through the practice dojo, then across the grassy courtyard where Iruka usually taught his first years how to throw shuriken. He then went back inside, across another hallway until he passed the empty teacher’s lounge. The classrooms were just ahead, joined by a single, long corridor, which rose up in steps toward the end near his own. Iruka ran silently, glancing through each door, noticing all the classrooms were empty of children. _Kakashi_. He must have sounded an alert, because there was no way in hell, at this time of day, that all the children would normally be outside and not in class. Iruka slid to a stop outside his own classroom, spotting Kakashi at the other entrance at the top of the steps. Iruka formed a _thank you_ with shinobi sign language, and Kakashi flicked through signs back _; no problem_.

Kani could only be inside his own classroom, Iruka reasoned. If Kakashi had come full circle and through the back entrance, and Iruka hadn’t found him either, the only place he could be was inside. Iruka pressed his back against the wall and peeked through the window in the door, careful not to let his shadow give him away. He could see Kazue, his substitute teacher, in the middle of the room, staring at something he couldn’t see, and a small child, cowering against the wall under the corner. Rei-chan, Iruka thought, recognizing the pink pigtails. Iruka felt protective rage building inside. When confronted with danger to his students, Iruka wasn’t going to stand for it. He let his killing intent flare, wild and dangerous, and Kazue spun around at the same time as Iruka forced the door, bursting into the room.

Rei-chan screamed and pushed herself back against the wall, little arms gripped tightly around her knees; she was probably half scared to death by the sight of another ANBU, this one in a black mask. Iruka figured he must look fairly terrifying, what with blood all over his ANBU vest and his murderous intent filling the room, black sword in his hand.

“Kurohyou, the black panther,” Kani acknowledged with a nod.

Iruka turned his attention from Rei-chan to the rogue-nin. He had Kazue in a tight grip, one hand around her waist, the other holding his sword to her throat. She didn’t struggle; she was a good teacher and a good shinobi, and knew that fighting back would be stupid. “Turn yourself in, Kani-san,” Iruka suggested, letting his intent flare again as a warning. Rei-chan whimpered, but Iruka couldn’t afford to take his eyes off of Kani. Kazue dropped her hand to her side, fingers flashing briefly, and Iruka noticed the kunai she was holding.  

Kakashi had a flare for the dramatic, _and_ brilliant timing. He burst through the door on the upper level, distracting Kani just enough for Kazue to reverse the kunai, jamming it into his thigh, making him stagger and curse. Kazue ducked beneath Kani’s arm, earning a nick from his sword in the process, and rushed toward Rei-chan, scooping her up and moving to the corner, out of the way.

Kani began flashing through seals and Iruka readied himself, noticing Kakashi doing the same in the background. There was a flash of purple smoke and Iruka ducked as the bomb exploded, making Rei-chan scream. It was a smoke bomb, nothing more. A purely simple flash bomb with a loud noise that any genin could make, and not something Iruka would expect an ANBU to use. Still, it proved how effective those damn things were.

When the smoke cleared, Kani was gone, only the open window a sign of where he had exited the classroom. At least the students were safe.

“Go after him,” Kakashi said. “I’m right behind you.”

Iruka jumped through the window, spotting Kani in the distance, on the rooftops. Iruka sprang to the nearest roof and began following, jumping over the gaps in-between buildings. He could hear Kakashi behind him, stealth forgotten in the rush, speed of the essence. “He’s going for the reservoir,” Iruka said as Kakashi drew level with him.

“Shit.” Kakashi moved to the left. “He might have something to poison the water supply. Formation C?”

“Agreed.” Iruka split off to the right, jumping up a story and onto the roof of an apartment building. Kakashi kept pace, although began moving around to the left of the reservoir, intending to cut off Kani, to come up behind him. There was a rush of fire and Iruka saw Kakashi duck and roll to the side, avoiding the jutsu at the last minute. Iruka hopped another building and moved down to ground level, climbing the grassy hill that lead up to the main reservoir. Kani was waiting, standing in the middle of the water; an invitation to come forward and fight.

Iruka paused and then padded out, moving toward Kani and the deepest part of the reservoir. He noticed Kakashi hop a fence and then land in a crouch, watching and waiting. He had his headband pushed up, Sharingan active, obviously assessing the situation.

Iruka knew he needed to keep Kani distracted, although it was going to be difficult. Iruka began to push chakra down through the water, working on keeping the surface smooth, so Kani wouldn’t notice. The problem with fighting an ANBU, Iruka thought, was that they knew just as much as you did; knew what you were probably going do, because they’d learnt the same way.

“Stop, Kurohyou,” Kani said, holding out a hand with a small vial, filled with green liquid. “Or I’ll poison Konoha’s entire water supply. Then where will you be?”

“You’re a Konoha shinobi,” Iruka said, stopping. “Have you forgotten that?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Kani said. “There is only the mission.” He tucked the vial back into his vest.

Iruka judged he had enough chakra built up, moving under the water in the currents, and he formed three seals in rapid succession, slamming his hand onto the surface. “ _Suiton: Hojoujutsu_!”

Thin ropes of water torpedoed from the water around Kani, twisting in the air, latching onto Kani’s arms and legs, wrapping around his torso. Kani strained against the ropes, slashing with his sword. When one water rope dissolved, another moved to take its place. Iruka remained crouched on the surface, palm down, channeling as much chakra as he could while directing the jutsu, but it was starting to break apart. Iruka cursed; this was a new jutsu he’d been working on and he hadn’t had time to fully get comfortable with it. Time for plan B, then.

Iruka released the jutsu and rushed forward, sweeping low with his leg, aiming to pull Kani’s feet out from under him. Kani jumped and delivered a roundhouse kick to Iruka’s stomach. With a grunt at the impact, Iruka tucked and jumped, landing in a crouch and sliding backward with the force of it, before he engaged again in a flurry of taijutsu. Kani was good; more than good. Iruka would reckon he was on par with Inu for taijutsu, close to Gai. All Iruka could do was meet each punch and kick, and hope it was enough of a distraction for Kakashi to do something.

Iruka kept Kani’s focus on him, but it was wearing him down slowly. It was then that Iruka heard the chirping of birds, and it took a few seconds, while he ducked another chakra-laced punch, to realize the air was charged blue, and that Kakashi was attacking, only feet away, chidori in hand.

“Kakashi, no!” Iruka yelled. “Bring him in alive!”

“Shit,” Kakashi muttered and dropped down, hand skimming close to the water.

Iruka’s eyes widened when he realized what Kakashi was about to do. Split-second timing; that was all Iruka had. He threw a punch at Kani, enough to keep his attention on Iruka for a moment, and then Iruka jumped into the air, flipping over Kani at the same time that Kakashi’s chidori touched the water.

The reservoir seemed to ignite with ghostly blue lightning, zigzagging across the water with a buzz not unlike electricity. Kani seemed frozen as the lightning travelled up his body with a force of a couple of thousand volts. His body went stiff, his arms outstretched, before he crumpled to the ground just as the lightning sputtered out.

Iruka finished his flip and landed behind Kakashi, who was standing over the unconscious and supine ANBU. Kakashi reached down and removed the vial from Kani’s vest. “Sorry,” Kakashi said with an eye-smile, flipping the vial in his hand. “I forgot you wanted him alive.”

“You, Hatake Kakashi, are a bad liar,” Iruka said, holding out his hand for the vial, which he tucked safely away. “Nice moves, though.”

“Maa, I needed the practice,” Kakashi said with a shrug. “Loved the water tentacles by the way, I’m very impressed. I hadn’t pegged you for a kinky pervert, though.”

“It’s a twist on an ancient martial binding technique, but with water,” Iruka huffed.

Kakashi stared at Iruka’s mask and then grinned. “ _Suuure_ , if you say so. You okay bringing him in?”

Iruka nodded. “Thank you for your help.”

Kakashi pulled his hitae-ate back in place, hiding the Sharingan. “Any time. You should get that wound looked at, though. Catch you later, Kurohyou-san.” With a wave, the copy nin was gone in a swirling cloud of leaves.

“Showy bastard,” Iruka mumbled, grinning. He stared down at the unconscious form of Kani, floating on the water. He leaned down, lifting the ANBU over his shoulder with a slight wince of pain. “Time to get you back to Ibiki, where I don’t envy you what might happen during the rest of your day.”

Iruka disappeared in not quite so showy a fashion, leaving only a couple of leaves as a parting gesture.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka strode into Ibiki’s office and deposited the still unconscious form of Kani on the desk. “Present for you,” Iruka said.

“What the fuck happened to him?” Ibiki said, looking at the still smoking ANBU with surprise.

“A combination of Hatake Kakashi in full-on avenger mode, plus chidori and some water. Here’s the vial of whatever it was Kani was about to put in the village water supply.” Ibiki’s eyebrows shot up, but he said nothing further. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go to the infirmary and have a number of large splinters picked out of my wound.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka spent three hours in the infirmary, having splinters removed from his side. Iruka had a high pain tolerance, being a ninja, but he could now say that nothing came quite so close to vomit-inducing agony as having a nurse pick splinters out of an open wound, one at a time. His ordeal was now over, and the nurse had thoughtfully healed him fully before sending him on his way. Still, his side ached like a son of a bitch, because ANBU nurses didn’t worry about things like a bedside manner, or numbing the injury before digging around.

Iruka decided at this point he dearly needed a drink, preferably an alcoholic one. He had a couple of things to do first; one was to go home and change and shower, and the other was to check on Izumo. When Kani had first appeared in the Hokage’s office, Iruka’s duty as Kurohyou had been to take down the threat as soon as possible. He’d shoved all other thoughts from his mind, the perfect shinobi ideal, embodying personal detachment and a duty to finish the job at all costs. Now… as he stripped off the trappings of the _Oinin Butai_ , he was Iruka again, and Iruka was worried about his friend. He showered, put his hair up in a ponytail, changed into a t-shirt and comfortable, low-slung pants, and headed for the hospital.

It was quiet in the hospital reception area, and a nurse was able to direct Iruka to the proper floor immediately. Iruka pushed open the sliding door carefully, not surprised to find Kotetsu keeping watch over his friend.

“Kotetsu, I just heard about Izumo. How is he?” Iruka moved to the side of the bed, looking down on Izumo’s unconscious form. His chest was bandaged, and he appeared to be breathing normally, but he was unusually pale.

“Iruka,” Kotetsu was sitting next to Izumo’s bed, in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs the hospital liked to torture people with. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, fixing Iruka with a searching look. “He’s gonna be all right. Tsunade-sama managed to get him stabilized at the scene and then the medics moved him down here. It was a close call. Too close.”

“You can’t blame yourself, Kotetsu,” Iruka replied. “I know you; you’re running ‘what if’ scenarios through your head. ‘What if it had been me? Would I have reacted in the same way?’”

Kotetsu huffed; it was faint laugh of admission. “Okay, so you know me too well.”

“Did Tsunade-sama say how long until he can leave?”

“A couple of days. She and the medics have completed most of the healing. They just want him to rest, so here we are. Where have you been, anyway? I haven’t seen you for a couple of weeks, maybe more.”

Iruka pulled up another chair and sat next to Kotetsu. “Just got back from a long mission this morning. Probably going on another one shortly.” The last part was the truth; Iruka had no doubt his skill-set would be called into play again _very_ shortly. After the assassination attempt, Tsunade-sama would be almost foaming at the mouth to remove the threat over Konoha as soon as possible.

Kotetsu nodded, but didn’t ask any further details. It was an unwritten rule; if a shinobi didn’t offer details on a mission, then it was likely those details couldn’t be shared. “I suppose you got a rundown on what happened in the Godaime’s office earlier,” he said.

Iruka raised an eyebrow. He didn’t like lying to his friends, but it was part of being a Hunter-nin. “Yeah, first thing I heard about when I got back.”

“I bet. Rumour has it they send out Kurohyou, and Hatake Kakashi got involved somehow too.”

“No shit,” Iruka said, trying for casual curiosity. “Must have been pretty impressive to watch.”

“Didn’t see it.” Kotetsu shifted in the plastic chair. “I was filing documents at the time. I felt the explosion though, right down in the basement. I thought I was going to come up there and find the top of the building missing.”

Iruka thought back to Uzushio, and the gaping hole in the side of the Administration building there. _Parallels everywhere_ , he thought. _We need to end the threat from Rock immediately, no matter what it takes._

“Iruka?”

It took Iruka a moment to realize Kotetsu was still talking. “Sorry, what?”

Kotetsu rolled his eyes. “I said, let’s go grab a drink later. They’re going to kick me out of here anyway once visiting hours are done. I could use a drink.”

“Me too. I have something I have to do first, but we can hook up later if you like.” Iruka stood up and stretched, wincing as his newly healed side pulled.

“You okay? You got injured?”

“Yeah, but it’s been looked at.” Iruka fixed Kotetsu with his best teacher stare. “I’m fine. Worry about Izumo instead. I’ll see you later.”

“Deal. Usual place?”

“The usual.” Iruka leaned down and reached out a hand, running it carefully down Izumo’s arm so as not to wake him. “Izumo, get better. I don’t want to have to listen to Kotetsu sulk for very long.”

“Ah, get the fuck out of here, now,” Kotetsu said with a laugh, “Before I do you serious damage.”

Iruka grinned and waved as he closed the door behind him. Now he’d checked on his friends, he had another task to complete.

The sun was setting by the time Iruka left the hospital, and he made his way down one of the main streets, ducking behind a noodle shop and then into another alley until he found the place he was looking for. Most shinobi got some kind of ink at some point in their career, whether to commemorate a mission, or friends they had lost. Iruka had been here before, with Kotetsu, but not as a paying customer, only to offer support. He ducked under the curtain, greeting the man at the counter, Hachirou.

“Good evening, Iruka Sensei. I was just about to close, unless there’s something I can help you with?”

Iruka frowned. Damn it, too late. “Hachirou-san, my apologies for the lateness, but I was hoping I could commission you to do some work for me.”

The man wiped his hands on his apron and glanced into the back room. “Maybe you could come back tomorrow?”

“I might not have time tomorrow,” Iruka replied, thinking about Kani. No doubt Ibiki would be working on the problem, along with Inoichi, and formulating some form of counter-response.

“Ah, I see,” Hachirou said with a frown.

“I need a seal permanently tattooed,” Iruka said, hoping curiosity would get the better of the man.

“A seal? I don’t get many of those. It’s almost become a lost art.” Hachirou looked Iruka over again, clearly wavering.

Iruka kept his poker face but smirked inside. “I’ll bet you’ve never seen anything like this before,” Iruka responded. “It’s a fuinjutsu, designed to store chakra.”

The man considered Iruka and sighed. “You know to keep a man from his dinner,” he said. “You’d better come in the back. Toshi!” he called out.

A young man stuck his head around another curtain. “Yes, father.”

“Tell your mother I’m working late. Probably very late.” Toshi nodded, knowing better to ask for details when a shinobi was involved. “So, show me this seal of yours.”

Iruka pulled out the piece of paper he’d worked on earlier, with the elements laid out precisely in minute detail. The shopkeeper whistled in appreciation and then looked up at Iruka. “This is an Uzushio fuinjutsu, isn’t it? I never thought I’d see one of these; they’re legendary. I’m honored to work on this, shinobi-san.”

Iruka grinned. “We’ll see how both of us feel after a few hours of you tattooing this, and me feeding the seal chakra.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was close to eleven when Iruka finally made it to the bar. His upper armed burned a little from the recent application of the ink, but Iruka knew that would pass in a couple of days. He’d hidden the new tattoo under a henge, simply because he didn’t want to try to answer awkward questions from any of his friends.

Kotetsu was already ensconced at the bar and Iruka moved to join him, ordering a drink with a wave of a hand at the bartender. He was a grizzled veteran, with a long, jagged scar down the left side of his face, which had healed badly, and went simply by the moniker _K_. Each new generation of shinobi had a theory as to what the K stood for; some said it was code for Killer, or maybe Karma. Iruka privately thought it stood for Kick-ass, because he’d seen K in action, turfing some unfortunate nin out on his ear, and it hadn’t been pretty. Actually, it had been rather bloody from what he remembered.

“Hey,” Iruka said, leaning on the bar next to Kotetsu. “How was Izumo when you left?”

Kotetsu threw back the remainder of his drink and ordered another, while K deftly slid Iruka his along the bar, which Iruka caught one-handed. “He was still sleeping,” Kotetsu said. “Got a bit of his color back, but the nurse advised me to go home since there was nothing I could do.”

Iruka nodded and sipped his beer, making a noise of pleasure as the first taste slid down his throat. “Nectar of the gods,” Iruka said with a smile. “Ko, Izumo is going to be fine. He’ll have another war wound he can show to everyone, which will no doubt make him happy. Plus, he’s got kudos for potentially saving the Hokage’s life. There’s a lot of mileage in that. You can tell him I said so.”

Kotetsu laughed. “Maybe you’re right. He’ll be insufferable for a month once he’s out.”

“And Tsunade will probably owe him one.” Iruka raised an eyebrow and winked.

“True, true. Hey, is that Genma?”

Iruka looked to the door. Definitely Genma, with Raidou in tow. Raidou spotted Iruka and Kotetsu and nodded, gesturing to Genma. Iruka grabbed his drink and moved to a free table, pulling Kotetsu with him.

“Ladies,” Genma said with a grin, “don’t usually see you guys out. Special occasion?”

“Izumo almost got killed warning the Hokage about a potential attack,” Ko said, taking another slug of his beer. “We’re having a drink for him since he’s still in hospital and isn’t allowed one himself, on the account of his being unconscious and all.”

“Get the fuck out,” Genma said, waving at K and making a circular gesture, indicating a round of drinks for the table. “Does that have something to do with the hole in the Hokage’s office? I heard things went nuts and Ibiki’s on the warpath again.”

“I heard,” said Raidou, leaning against the table, “they had to send out a hunter-nin, but nobody’s sure why. Rumour has it we had a rogue ANBU.”

Iruka rolled his eyes internally, outwardly keeping a poker face of mild shock and surprise. The shinobi gossip vine was in full swing, and it had only been hours since the whole thing went down.

“Iruka, you’re quiet,” Genma said, draping an arm over Iruka’s shoulder. “What gives? And holy shit, what happened to you?” Genma leaned in close to Iruka and narrowed his eyes. Then he leaned back and looked Iruka up and down. “You got _cut_ , jeez. I can see your six-pack through that shirt.”

“Lean, too,” Raidou observed. “Don’t get that on regular missions. What have you been up to?”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you two were gay and sizing up what was on offer,” Ko said, earning incredulous looks and then laughter from the group.

“Genma’s girlfriend would object to that statement,” Raidou said, pulling a pint toward him.

Genma leaned in closer to Iruka. “I’m serious,” he said, lowering his voice, “what the hell type of mission have you been on?” He left his arm draped over Iruka’s shoulder, casually tapping two fingers against the henge on Iruka’s upper arm. Genma was ex-ANBU, although before Iruka’s time, so it was not unusual for an ANBU to recognize the familiar sign of a henge, especially in the spot Iruka had it. He probably thought it was an ANBU mark, Iruka thought, which was convenient.

Iruka leaned closer, “Sorry, can’t talk about it. Classified.”

Genma nodded and removed his arm, apparently satisfied. “Where’s that slacker, Hatake, anyway? He said he was meeting us here.”

_Oh great_ , Iruka thought. _Just what I need after this morning_. Iruka coughed up some cash for a new round of beer, keeping a surreptitious eye on Ko, who seemed determined to get as shit-faced as possible in the shortest amount of time. Iruka was starting to relax too; he had a pleasant buzz developing, and he realized he was grinning at stupid things and that Raidou’s terrible jokes were unexpectedly hilarious. Life suddenly seemed pretty damn awesome for the first time in a while, which was just what he needed after the last couple of weeks.

Raidou ordered the next round, and Kakashi showed up just in time to get included. “Yo,” he said with a wave to the table, shoehorning himself in between Iruka and Genma. There was some shuffling as people made room, sliding drinks around before the conversation continued.

“Hatake, you slick bastard,” Genma said, leaning around Iruka, “you’re late.”

“Had to rescue a kitty-cat,” Kakashi said. “It was half-drowned and needed drying off.”

“You are so full of shit,” Raidou commented, shaking his head. “You’re buying the next round after this. Ko is on a mission to drink for Konoha, and is doing pretty admirably so far.”

“I can see that,” Kakashi said, winking at Iruka. “Shouldn’t someone prop him up before he falls over?”

Iruka shifted a little, bumping hips with Genma in an effort to give Kakashi more space at the table. Kakashi was staring at him, a thoughtful look on his face, his eye flickering down to Iruka’s upper arm and back up again to Iruka’s face. “Iruka Sensei,” Kakashi acknowledged.

“Kakashi-san,” Iruka replied with a nod.

“For crying out loud, you two really need to get over the whole chuunin exam thing,” Kotetsu declared loudly from the other side of the table, pointing at both of them. “The tension is killing me here!”

“We all know Iruka can hold a grudge,” reasoned Raidou, “but it has been over two years. You guys should make up nice and then Hatake can buy drinks to celebrate.” Everyone around the table cheered and Iruka laughed, catching Kakashi’s eye. He could tell Kakashi was smiling, even through the mask, and for some reason that made Iruka glad, although it was probably the alcohol talking at this point, he reasoned.

“So,” Genma leaned around Iruka, “Kakashi. What was all this I hear about a rogue ANBU and you chidori’ing the village reservoir earlier?”

“Maa, you know how it is,” Kakashi replied, waving a hand lazily before picking up his drink. “Right time, wrong place. I told you, I had to rescue a kitty cat.”

Iruka was buzzed enough only to take minor offence, but he filed that comment away for later. Payback was due, he promised himself.

“Oh god, please tell me you are not referring to Kurohyou,” Raidou said, face-palming. “If he finds out you’re talking shit about him, there won’t be enough of you left to bury.”

Individual conversation had stopped at this point, in favour of what now seemed to be an incredibly interesting one developing. Genma, who had apparently lost his brain-to-mouth filter said, “Yeah, sometime in the near future, the great Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan, Copy-nin extraordinaire, will get his ass handed to him by none other than a senior member of the _Oinin Butai_ , Kurohyou the Black Panther, and I sooooo want to watch.”

“I’m not worried,” Kakashi said with a grin. “He can try to kick my ass. It’ll be fun.”

“Fun?” Genma almost yelled. “You… you. Argh, I have no idea what I’m saying anymore. Tell us about what happened at the reservoir. _Please_.”

“Aw, Genma, you pout so prettily,” Kakashi said. “Are you sure you’re still straight? Because I’m totally in if you’re not.”

Iruka raised an eyebrow and took another sip of his drink. He’d never actually socialized with Kakashi, at least not since the whole chuunin exam incident, so it was surprising to see this almost playful side to him. He seemed relaxed around his friends, less… uptight and serious than Iruka was used to, although that could be because he was out of uniform. He was still going to kick his ass at some point for making fun of his alter-ego, Kurohyou, though. There would need to be serious planning for that to work, Iruka thought, staring at the table as he started to run through scenarios.

“Oi, Sensei.” Kakashi leaned into Iruka’s space, his chin almost on Iruka’s shoulder. Kakashi’s hip bumped Iruka, in turn pushing him into Genma’s space, who slipped an arm around Iruka’s waist. Genma got all touchy-feely when he’d had too much to drink, and it was always a source of amusement to Iruka.

“Yes, Kakashi-san,” Iruka said.

“Kakashi. No san.”

“Okay, fine.” Iruka went to take a drink and realized the glass was empty. “Your round, I believe?”

Kakashi laughed and signaled K for another set of drinks. “Iruka, I wanted to let you know, you were right.”

Iruka frowned, seeing how serious Kakashi looked for a moment. “Right about what?”

“Team Seven. They weren’t ready for the chuunin exams. But, I had to put them forward.”

“Why are you bringing this up now?” Iruka asked.

“It’s important,” Kakashi said with a shrug. “I put them forward because they weren’t ready; do you understand?”

Iruka didn’t; it was typical Kakashi backward thinking. He said as much, earning a rueful laugh from Kakashi in the process. “Team Seven are – were – most effective when they were in danger. They had to pull together as a team.” Kakashi continued, keeping his voice low. “I wanted them to see that, to see that they were strong together, but the only way they could see that was to fail – together.”

Iruka thought that twisted bit of logic through for a moment, and then, probably because he was buzzed, he got what Kakashi was saying. “I think I understand,” Iruka said after a few moments.

“Friends then?” Kakashi said, raising his drink.

“I suppose,” Iruka replied, clinking glasses. “Please don’t do that again. I might have to kill you.”

Kakashi laughed, throwing his head back. It was infectious, and Iruka found himself laughing as well. “Thank god,” Genma muttered. “You guys were killing my buzz for a moment. Oi,” he said, turning to the rest of the table, “Kakashi and Iruka have made up finally. Kampai!”

Everyone toasted, and it was at that moment that the alcohol finally caught up with Kotetsu, who slid off the table in a spectacular fashion and landed face-first on the floor. There was a flurry of activity, with Genma pushing everyone out of the way and rolling Kotetsu onto his back.

“Ouch,” Raidou exclaimed. “Who’s going to explain to Izumo why Ko has a scuff mark on his chin and forehead?”

Genma cackled. “His hitae-ate will cover up it up.”

“That’s the worst kind of drunken logic I’ve heard,” Raidou said. “Oh well; the evening’s over by the looks of things. Who’s going to take Ko home?”

“We could play Jan Ken Pon,” Kakashi suggested helpfully, and everyone groaned.

“I’ll take him home,” Iruka said, finishing up his drink. “He’s my responsibility, plus I don’t want a fight to break out over something as simple as a game of Rock, paper, scissors.”

“Good lad,” Raidou said. “Have fun with that!”

Iruka punched Raidou in the arm and crouched down, levering Ko over his shoulder and gripping his legs to stop him from sliding off. Genma grabbed Iruka by the arm and leaned in, gaze soft and unfocused. Iruka would bet money Raidou was going to be carrying Genma home in the same way, very shortly.

“Oi, Iruka,” Genma said slowly, face serious. “No drinking and using a shunshin, okay?”

Iruka ignored the laughter that erupted around the table, and thought about doing just that, just to piss everyone off. Then he thought better of it. In his condition, it was highly likely he’d end up transporting somewhere he didn’t intend. “Fine,” he said after a pause. “You bastards had better not stay out too late, either.”

With a final wave, Iruka walked sedately to the door, Ko a heavy weight on his shoulder.

“Don’t fall off the roof,” Kakashi said in a final parting shot, and Iruka gave everyone the finger, leaping to the roof anyway. Sometimes you just had to make a good exit, regardless of the danger or personal injury.

Iruka dropped Ko off at his apartment five minutes later, and left him with a jug of water and a bowl by the bedside, just in case. He thought about cleaning Ko’s scrape on his chin, but thought better of it when he realized he had no idea where Ko kept the first aid things. Instead, he pulled the blanket over Kotetsu and hopped out of the window, taking the rooftops to his place. He brushed his teeth, pulled off his clothes and flopped into the bed, staring at the ceiling. His last thought before he fell asleep was to wonder where Inu had gotten to. He hadn’t seen him for two days, when Ibiki had dismissed them after the return from Uzushio. Iruka was starting to realize he had a problem, and now he was drunk, he could admit it to himself. He _missed_ Inu, and he was starting to associate him as part of his team, a partnership. A valuable one, at that. Inu was becoming someone special, and Iruka didn’t want to think about what it would be like when this mission was over, and Inu wasn’t around anymore. With a deep sigh, Iruka turned over, and promptly passed out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka was woken some time later by an intense burning sensation on his hip, and it took him a moment to realize he was being summoned by Ibiki, via his Hunter-nin tattoo. Iruka groaned, rolled over, and pulled the clock toward him. Ten twenty-three in the morning. Iruka scrubbed at his face, waiting for the hangover to kick in. There it was... a dull ache in the top of his head, a dry throat, and the feeling that someone had left a sweaty sandal in his mouth overnight. Just fabulous. He rolled to the edge of the bed and sat up, sighing. The tattoo still ached; Ibiki was clearly not going to let up until he showed himself. It was time for a shower, half a gallon of water and a couple of pain pills, Iruka thought. Good times.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In retrospect, Iruka thought, maybe he shouldn’t have been so flippant with Ibiki when he’d dropped Kani off, because he was pretty sure it would come back and bite him in the ass later. In his wildest dreams, Iruka would never have assumed payback would catch up with him so quickly, or while he was nursing the remains of a hangover.

By the time Iruka arrived at Ibiki’s office, there was a full house. Inoichi was there, along with Yori, Inu, and the Godaime, who looked thunderously annoyed and ready to start cracking heads.

The room went silent when Iruka pushed open the door, and he bowed, shutting the door behind him and walking over to stand next to Inu, who flicked a hand sign at him in greeting.

“Kurohyou,” Tsunade said. “Ibiki was just explaining how one of our sleepers was activated and how we were not aware of it until that sleeper attempted to kill me, and half the village, by poisoning our water supply yesterday.”

Iruka sucked in a breath but wisely didn’t say anything. Tsunade was _pissed_.

“Unfortunately, Godaime-sama, we did not expect the effects to be so instantaneous.” Yori stepped forward, taking one for the entire T & I team in the process. “I had hoped, once we picked up the chakra interference, that the effects of waking the sleeper would take longer than they did.”

“To be fair, Godaime-sama, we also did not think the enemy would try for such a wide-ranging tactic as attempting to poison the water supply.” Inoichi frowned. “Our intelligence suggested the sleeper agent would be programmed to try something small as a test.”

“This seems more a case of all or nothing. Hmph.” Tsunade leaned back in Ibiki’s chair. “This is well beyond serious. If this is Rock’s idea of an opening volley, I’d hate to see what comes next. Not only were the Academy students placed in serious danger, but also our civilian and shinobi population. It’s only a matter of time before Rock ups their game. I want this dealt with, and now.”

Ibiki stepped forward. “May I suggest we go straight to the source?”

“Explain.” Tsunade glared at Ibiki.

“With all due respect, Godaime-sama, we have all the information that we can gather here. I recommend we send out Kurohyou and Inu, have them cross into Rock and contact our informant there. Find out what’s going on, see if we can get some information on who exactly is controlling our sleepers.”

“You don’t think it’s Tatsu?” Inu’s deep baritone drew all attention to him.

“I do not.” Ibiki laced his hands behind his back. “I find it extremely difficult to believe that an active ANBU has the time to formulate this sort of scheme while running missions. I’m willing to bet both she, and Tokage, were reporting to a higher power. We need to find out who that is, and eliminate them.”

“Agreed.” Tsunade stood up. “Ibiki, you will pull all the sleepers and have them confined immediately, preferably somewhere extremely secure like the ANBU detention rooms. I don’t care if it’s hurts anyone’s feelings, or how you feel about it. Rock just played their card, and I will not put a single Konoha resident in further danger, am I understood?” Tsunade glared at the room and it was a ferocious look, daring anyone to suggest differently. “Kurohyou, Inu. You’ll make your way to Rock and make contact with our informant there. Then you have full authority to do what is necessary to neutralize the threat to Konoha – short of starting a war. Are we clear?”

“Is it wise to enter Rock, Godaime-sama?” Inu spoke softly. “Would it not be better to pull our informant from Rock and work behind our own borders to remove the threat?”

“We don’t have time to sit back and continue to let Rock manipulate us,” Tsunade said. “You have your orders, shinobi, and complete autonomy to end the threat how best you deem necessary. I will put some of our chuunin and genin forces at the border, but be aware they cannot back you up if shit goes south. You are both on your own, and I will not ask our forces to start a war in order to necessitate a rescue. Understood?”

_Oh good_ , Iruka thought. _A potential suicide mission. Fabulous._

“Understood, Godaime-sama.” Iruka bowed, as did Inu.

“Good. Make your preparations and leave first thing tomorrow. May the soles of your feet be firm,” Tsunade said.

Iruka bowed again and left the office, with Inu close behind him. “Well, that went well,” Inu muttered.

“You’re telling me.”

Inu sighed. “I’ll meet you tomorrow at dawn, at the main gate.”

Iruka reached out, brushing fingers over the inside of Inu’s wrist, a silent gesture that spoke of many things, none of which could be said aloud. Inu caught his hand before he turned away, smoothing his thumb over Iruka’s palm, returning the sentiment. “Inu, I –“

“Shhh,” Inu responded. “We’ll do this, because we are shinobi. We’ll make it back; of that I have no doubt.”

“I hope so,” Iruka said, leaving out all the other things he dearly wanted to say.

With a nod, Inu released his hand before turning and crossing the courtyard, disappearing from Iruka’s view.


	11. Chapter 11

It was just before dawn when Iruka met up with Inu.  Inu was leaning against the wall next to the gate with the あ character, arms crossed.  He was staring at the pre-dawn sky, watching a bird circle lazily on the current. 

“Morning,” Iruka said with a yawn. 

“Same,” Inu replied, clearly as unimpressed with getting up this early as Iruka.  Iruka stretched his arms above his head and then winced, the fresh tattoo pulling against his skin.  Inu began walking toward the trees on the right and he turned and looked over his shoulder.  “Got inked?”

Iruka grunted, wishing he’d had time for a second cup of coffee.  “Yeah, couple of days ago.”

“Finally decided to get my name tattooed on your bicep?”

Iruka sprung into the trees, Inu keeping pace beside him.  “No, I got a representation of your ANBU mask, and all your ninken across my shoulders.  There was barely enough room.”

Inu let out a short bark of laughter and sped up, forcing Iruka to chase him to stay in talking range.  “That I have to see.  No, really, what did you get?”

“I’ll show you later.  You might call it an insurance policy, and I figure on this mission, we need all the help we can get.”

Inu nodded.  “Let’s get to the border of Fire Country, and you can show me then.”

“Agreed.”

Even moving at ANBU speeds with short rest periods, it was close to dusk of the next day before they came close to the border that Fire shared with Waterfall Country.  Here, the stately trees of Fire gave way to maple, which were tinged with the colors of autumn, all reds and orange.  It gave the place an ethereal look, almost otherworldly, especially in the fading daylight.  Iruka dropped to the ground in a clearing, Inu following close behind, landing silently.  “We should probably discuss a plan before we proceed any further,” Iruka said.  “Figure how we’re going to do this.”

Inu nodded, dropping to the ground in a crouch.  He stared through the tree canopy, looking at the sky.  “It’s almost day’s end.  Let’s have a hot meal and rest and head out again tomorrow morning.  I figure proper sleep is more important at this point than bursting across the border into an unknown situation.”

“Sounds good. I’ll get some firewood and you can provide the fire jutsu.”

An hour later, they’d both eaten their fill.  Inu’s ninken were on watch as added insurance so they could relax properly. Iruka rested his back against a log, Inu beside him.  “So what’s your thoughts on how we should proceed?” Inu asked.

“Our contact is located in a village on the main road that joins the Hidden Village of Rock with Tani in Waterfall Country,” Iruka mused.  “He’s ideally placed to pick up as much information as he can, what with merchants and shinobi that often travel that road.  I think we want to avoid any main roads, or well-travelled secondary roads, on the way there, however.”

Inu nodded, clearly considering the problem.  “The quickest way into Earth Country would be through Grass, but that will put us well south of Rock, and there’s too much desert to get lost in.  I think we should go through Waterfall, take the shortest route through the forests that we can, and make our way north-west to the village our contact is in.”

“It’ll be less dangerous sneaking through Waterfall,” Iruka replied, “but it’s going to be rough going on the last leg, especially trying to remain out of sight in Earth Country.  There’s not a lot of potential cover in the desert and we’ll be very much exposed the whole way there if we don’t plan our route properly.”

“I’m hoping our contact can help with that,” Inu replied.  “He’ll know the best way to get across Earth without drawing attention to ourselves.  Plus, I’m sure he’s got a backlog of intelligence he hasn’t been able to pass onto Konoha since we stopped sending and receiving messenger hawks. I can send one of the ninken back with the information.”

“Inu, I have an idea.  Hear me out?”

Inu stopped slouching and straightened up.  “Always.  What’s on your mind?”  He reached out a hand, laid his gloved palm on the back of Iruka’s neck, warm and comforting.  He drew slow circles with his thumb, sending distracting goosebumps over Iruka’s skin, making him shiver pleasantly.

“It’s not so much the infiltration that worries me, it’s the extraction,” Iruka began.  “I know Tsunade wants us to put our best effort in, even if it kills us, but I’d very much like to make it home.”

“You and me both,” Inu replied gruffly.

“I’ve been working on a number of solutions to various problems I commonly encounter on missions.  I thought if we combined them, there’s a good chance we can still make it out, even in a tight situation.”

“I’m listening.”  Inu shifted until he was facing Iruka, legs crossed at the ankle.

“It’s about the tattoo I got on my bicep the other day.  It’s actually a fuinjutsu, a copy of something I found in the Uzumaki temple with all the documents.  It belonged to my family.”

“In the secret underground room?”

“Right.  It’s a complicated piece of work, but I was able to get one of our local shinobi tattoo artists to reproduce it.  The seal is basically a container for extra chakra.  I can, and have, fed it some of my chakra, and I’ll keep topping it up as we go, when I am able and it won’t compromise the mission.”

“Elegant,” Inu said.  “An insurance policy.  Can I see it?”

Iruka nodded, unwrapping the red bandage from the top of his arm and pulling down the long black glove to expose his bicep.  Inu leaned closer, rubbing his thumb over the ink.  It wrapped fully around Iruka’s upper arm, two wide bands of black ink with spider-like writing between that made complicated geometric patterns, interspersed with arcane sigils. 

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Inu murmured, his thumb drawing little patterns over the design.   “So you feed it chakra? How do you release it?”

“With blood,” Iruka said.  “No way around that, unfortunately.  Still, in a tight situation, if I’m almost drained of chakra, I can break this seal and I’ll have enough to give us one last jutsu.”

Inu looked up, eyes bright through the holes in his mask.  “Can you copy this for me? Not permanently, but with ink and brush?”

“I can.  I had to design this from scratch from a description on the scroll.”

“I’m impressed.”

Iruka laughed softly.  “I brought a brush and ink with me.  Which brings me to my other idea.”

“Now I’m just plain curious about what’s been running through that devious mind of yours.”  Inu cocked his head to one side.  “It’s kinda sexy.”

Iruka ignored the comment, although he grinned.  “While I was playing around with this seal, it reminded me of another one of my father’s scrolls that I had locked away.  It’s mainly used for quick transportation.”

“Like the Fourth’s Flying Thunder God Technique?”

Iruka hummed thoughtfully.  “I suppose it’s similar, although the Fourth’s technique was for the battlefield; this is just as powerful, but designed to allow a person to travel over a great distance at speed.  Think of it as a shunshin – the Body Flicker Technique – but the distance it can cover is extreme.  It also uses a great deal of chakra, which is why I need to split the seal between us both to have enough to use it successfully if we have to abort the mission.”

Inu considered Iruka’s words and then said, “You just want to draw on me.”

Iruka laughed.  “Maybe I do. Whichever one of my distant ancestors designed and used this must have been a chakra powerhouse to use it on their own.  He, or she, must have been terrifying in battle.  Let me get my brush.  I’m going to need you to lie down and lift up your shirt.”

“Okay, consider me in.”

Iruka mixed the ink with some water, and when he turned around, Inu was lying supine on the ground, flak jacket off and shirt pulled up as requested, hands behind his head.   “A little eager, aren’t you?” Iruka fake-huffed.

“You’re going to scribble on me.  This will be fun.”

Iruka straddled Inu’s hips, and reached up and took off his porcelain mask.  “I need to concentrate,” he said.  “And I need to be able to see properly.”

“Don’t let me interrupt,” Inu replied.  “I have a really sexy guy straddling me, I’m not going to complain.”  At the first touch of the brush Inu let out a shuddery breath, stomach muscles contracting before he relaxed again.  “Cold and wet,” he offered as an explanation. 

Iruka grinned, starting to draw the seal from memory, laying out swirling lines around Inu’s navel, sigils spreading from the center.  “I’m going to do this; it’s one half of the seal.  You’re going to have to do its matching seal on me.”

“Really? This is definitely getting more interesting by the minute.”

“Be quiet,” Iruka muttered with a laugh.  “Once this is done, rather like the Fourth’s jutsu, we’re going to leave a marker somewhere nearby.  In case we need a fast extraction, we can combine our seals via touch and a hand sign to trigger the jutsu, and it will bring us to the marker.  This is one of the reasons I had the other seal inked permanently, so if we need a quick burst of chakra to get out, we’ll have it.”

“But it needs both of us to utilize this particular fuinjutsu?”

“Yes.  Neither one of us is leaving Rock without the other.”

Inu remained silent for a moment, then said, “You’ve really thought about this, haven’t you?”

“I have.”  Iruka added a final brush stroke, completing the design.  Inu’s stomach muscles twitched; probably the drying ink felt weird.  Still, Iruka wasn’t going to complain; he was thoroughly enjoying the view, all of Inu’s pale skin and impressive musculature laid out before him.    As the ink dried, the marks of the seal faded, until it wasn’t visible any more.  Iruka stroked his hand down Inu’s stomach, over his hipbone.  “Okay, now you get to do me.”

Inu twisted, and suddenly Iruka was underneath him, back pressed into the ground, Inu settling into the cradle of his hips.  “I thought you’d never ask, Kurohyou,” he said huskily.

“The seal!” Iruka squeaked, reaching up and grabbing Inu’s forearms. “I meant the seal.”

“Are you sure?” Inu rolled his hips experimentally and Iruka let out a shaky breath, his traitorous body already starting to respond.  Iruka closed his eyes and swallowed, trying to find some willpower.

“How about you finish the seal and then you can have your reward?” Iruka said, opening his eyes.

Inu shifted, his hard cock pressed against Iruka’s, moving his hips slowly, teasing.  After a moment he sighed and sat up, reaching for the brush Iruka had dropped a moment ago.  “Fine, but I’ll make you pay for the delay in gratification.  You _will_ be punished, and I think I’ll go about it very slowly and thoroughly.”

Iruka had no doubt that having Inu spend the next half hour drawing with ink on his skin was going to be punishment enough, not including the added bonus of Inu sitting in his lap, ass pressed against his erection.  Iruka fisted his hands into the grass and said, “Get on with it, then.”

Inu made a tsking noise, and it was a wholly evil sound, laced with a great deal of enjoyment.  “Oh, _Kurohyou_ , you have no idea how much punishment you are about to receive.”  Inu set about pushing up Iruka’s black top, until his stomach was exposed to the cool night air.

Iruka gasped at the first touch of the brush on his skin and he grit his teeth. This was going to be a long evening, of that he had no doubt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They crossed the border of Fire early the next morning, and into Waterfall Country.  There was a distinct chill in the air along with a fog that seeped between the maple trees, muting the colors until they appeared as pastels.  Inu led them steadily northwest through the fog, skirting any signs of habitation or roads.  As they moved, Iruka could hear the distant sound of rushing water.

“Is that a river?” Iruka asked, dropping down to the same level as Inu, matching his pace through the trees.

“No, it’s one of the big waterfalls,” Inu replied.  “There’s a number of them on this side of Waterfall. They all feed into each other, stepping down toward Fire Country.  The further north we go, the higher the elevation.  It’s why Earth Country is so arid, and why Rain is so wet.  The rivers all feed into Fire and Grass, and eventually collect in Rain, resulting in the weather pattern that Country is named for.”  

Iruka stopped, Inu behind him.  They were in a small clearing, fed by a fast moving stream.  “Something wrong?” Inu asked.

Iruka shook his head.  “No, but this would be a good place to leave our marker in case we need extraction.  It’s far from civilization, but has running water and is private.”

“You mean in case we’re both incapacitated and can’t move?”

“Exactly,” Iruka replied in a grim tone.

Inu leaned against the tree truck, arms crossed.  “Why couldn’t we leave a marker in Fire Country?”

“Too far away, even for this jutsu,” Iruka replied.  “Going by what was written on the scroll, it has limits, even though it can transport a person vast distances.  This clearing is still within what I think the seal can handle; at least without testing it.  Fire Country is simply too far away.  Let’s hope we don’t have to use it.”

Iruka descended to the forest floor and set about carving a set of sigils in one of the trees while Inu kept watch from above.  It was tedious work to carve something so complicated with only a kunai.  He was also very aware that he couldn’t fuck this up, otherwise they’d be in serious trouble if they used the seal.  _Actually_ , Iruka mused, _I have no idea what happens if this gets messed up; no one mentioned that in the scroll._

“Done.”  He stepped back and dropped the kunai, point first, into the leafy deadfall at the base of the tree.  There was no point bringing the knife with him; it was blunt and not worth taking the time to sharpen.

“Ready to go?” Inu called from the tree canopy.

Iruka ran up the trunk, jumping and twisting to land next to Inu.  “Ready when you are.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Over the course of the day they travelled ever further north-northwest.  The maple trees were in full autumnal color, and Iruka privately thought it looked breathtaking, everything around them a living curtain of bright orange and deep red as they moved through the branches.  The mist returned as the sun sank toward the horizon and finally dropped behind the tree line.

“We should stop for the night,” Inu said, pausing on a branch. 

Iruka landed beside him, one hand resting against the tree trunk.  “This is close to where I took down Asai Makoto.”

“Who?” Inu crouched down, resting an arm on his bent knee.

“Makoto. A chuunin from Konoha who went missing nin.  I was tasked with taking him out, and when I had finished my mission, I discovered a scroll on him, which was a list of all the Forbidden Jutsu in Konoha.  That’s what started this whole damn thing.”

“He was making a run for Rock, I take it?”

Iruka nodded.  “He almost succeeded.”

“I really don’t want to think about what kind of situation Konoha would be in now if he’d made it,” Inu replied.

Iruka thought back to Kani, and how, if they hadn’t been at least partially prepared for a sleeper being awoken, it could have been a very bad situation.  He might have succeeded in poisoning the water supply and, in turn, a lot of innocent people might have been killed, or at the very least, Konoha would have been incapacitated.  “Do you want the first watch?”

“Sure.  I’ll wake you in four hours.”

Iruka settled back onto the branch and tried to compose himself for sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The forest began to thin as they skirted north, and they dropped to the ground, running quickly toward a brown smudge on the horizon, which materialized into a mountain range the closer they got.  Maple was replaced by pine as they began to ascend the foothills of the mountains, and the ever-present rush of waterfalls and rivers receded into the distance. 

“What the hell is this?”  Iruka pointed upward, gesturing to small flakes of rock and sand that floated through the air.

“You’ve never been to Rock?” Inu asked.

“No, where I took out Makoto was the furthest north and west I’ve been.”

“It’s a phenomenon known locally as Gan’u, or Rock Rain.  Winds blow over the mountains from Earth, bringing some of the smaller rocks and sand with it.  The winds dissipate once they clear the mountains and the rocks drop from the sky like rain.”

“Nothing about Earth Country is straightforward, is it?” Iruka responded.  Beneath his feet, the ground was littered with little round rocks, orangey-red in colour.  The air smelt thinner here the further they climbed, and for a moment he missed the lush, wet smell of Waterfall.  All that was forgotten when they crested the mountain range and Iruka took his first look at Earth Country.  It was almost sensory overload, he thought.  So many varying degrees of red and orange; from crimson to burnt umber, rust to terracotta, gold to a dark, velvet brown. Closer to the foothills and the bottom of the mountain range, a forest of pillared rock marched into the distance, to eventually give way on the horizon to what looked like a vast system of canyons that cut through a plateau.

“How the fuck do we make it across this?” Iruka breathed.

“It looks worse from a distance,” Inu replied.  “Earth Country has a big sky and seems closer to the heavens than the sandy deserts of Suna.  The distance can be misleading and deadly if you are unfamiliar with the terrain.”

Iruka looked at Inu. “That is not an answer.”

Inu laughed.  “I know it’s not.  The real answer is we get there when we do.”

“I hate you, just for the record.  And also, I’m fucking freezing.  I thought this was the desert.”

“It’s always cold on the mountains.  There’s no humidity, so it feels a lot colder than, say, in Waterfall.  During the day the ground will radiate with heat, which is just as unpleasant.  That’s why we’re going to make our way through the canyons, were there’s natural cover and shade.”

“Let’s get moving then,” Iruka said.  “The quicker this hell mission is over, the happier I’ll be.”

“After you, then, Kurohyou.”  Inu waved a hand in the direction of the rock pillars far below.  “I’m right behind you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Inu was right; the chill of the mountains vanished once they reached the basin floor and began to weave their way through the rock pillars.  Iruka could make out distinct stratification on the pillars as he looked up, wide bands of different colored rock and sand.  When he brushed his hand across the rock, some of it was soft and almost crumbly, other layers hard and gritty.  The air smelt almost sterile and was dry, making his skin feel tight.

The forest of pillars gave way to a short and frantic dash across barren ground that gave no cover, and Iruka felt his heart hammering in his chest.  It was unlikely anyone was out here to see them, but this mission could _not_ fail, and the brief period of exposure until they reached the canyon was something he’d rather not have had to do.  They camped that night in a side canyon, both huddling for warmth together; body heat a good substitute for a fire they could not afford to light.  The next day and night was spent much the same way as they gradually moved northwest toward the small village that Inu said their informant lived in.

“What’s the name of this place we’re going to?” Iruka asked, folding up his blanket in preparation to store it in one of his supply scrolls. 

“I don’t know that it actually has a name.”  Inu passed Iruka the wrappers from the ration bars they’d had for breakfast.  “It’s not even really large enough to qualify as a village.  It’s more a collection of dwellings along the road.”

Iruka finished packing the scroll and tucked it away.  He sat back down next to Inu.  “So what’s the game plan? Have you met our informant before?”

“Ryouichi? No.” Inu shook his head.  “Ibiki said he looks like a native, as his father was from Rock, which is why he’s able to blend in successfully and speak the local dialect.”

Iruka frowned.  “With the situation what it is, can we be sure he’s working for us?”

Inu gave a sort of breathless laugh, showing amusement.  “Oh, he’s working on our side.  He’s Ibiki’s half-brother.”

“What?” Iruka leaned forward.  “I had no idea Ibiki had a brother.”

Inu shrugged.  “They share the same mother; it’s just Ibiki’s father is from Konoha, whereas Ryouichi’s is not.  Ibiki is the younger sibling, or so he told me.”

“I’m still trying to imagine another version of Ibiki.”  Iruka shivered.  “Scary.”

Inu stood up, glancing around.  “We need to make it to this village by nightfall.  I think if we push ourselves, we can probably do it.”

“If we could actually go in a straight line things would be much easier,” Iruka said. “As it is, we’re covering twice the distance, having to wend our way through these damn canyons.”

“The canyons will end soon, blending into the desert.  I’m pretty sure I remember a large wadi a few miles ahead, which we can use to traverse the distance quickly.”

“A what?”

“A wadi.  It’s a dry riverbed.”

Iruka paused.  “That’ll be rather exposed, don’t you think?”

“This is why I picked this route: it’s desolate.  I’m willing to take the risk.  If we’re spotted, we’ll also see them coming and will have time to plan an attack.”

“Great,” Iruka muttered, and set off at a fast trot into the shimmering desert heat, following Inu.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun was low on the horizon by the time they got close to the village.  They paused in the cover of a rocky outcropping, and settled in to watch and wait.  Observation was a key part of a shinobi’s work, and Iruka knelt next to Inu, passing him the water canteen and looking away so he’d have privacy to drink.  Inu had been right; the village was barely that.  It was a collection of stone huts in varying sizes, spread out along what passed for a road; in reality, it was simply a trackway cleared of debris and the ever present scrubby bushes that made up the desert.  This was something Iruka had been surprised to find; unlike the never-ending sand that made up the deserts of Wind Country, Earth’s deserts were all rock, covered in places with a thin layer of soil, interspersed with scrub bushes and the occasional weird looking tree.  The difference was that this desert still held life, whereas the deserts of Suna were barren and dead.

There was a surprising amount of movement amongst the huts as dusk fell.  Travelers making their way to the small inn and bar, residents to their houses.  Most of the huts were made of stacked rock, with wooden roofs that looked like they had been scavenged from other, older structures.

“How are we going to find this Ryouichi?” Iruka asked, taking back the canteen.  “He won’t be expecting us; in fact, he’s probably pretty paranoid at this point since, for all intents and purposes, Konoha has gone dark since the Hokage banned all messenger hawks.”

“We’ll have to do it the old fashioned way,” Inu replied.  He moved forward in a crouch, keeping to the cover as much as possible.  Iruka followed, staying in his tracks, until they reached the outskirts of the village.  They waited in the shadow of one of the outlying buildings, listening.  The sound of music drifted from the inn, along with the occasional laugh.  It occurred to Iruka that, although the land was desolate and difficult to survive in, the people who lived here had adapted, and had even made the landscape work for them rather than against them.

Iruka started when Inu let out a shrill whistle.  To anyone listening, they would probably assume it was just a hunting bird.  To anyone with ties to Fire Country, they’d recognize it as a bird native only to there.  Inu paused and, after a few moments, repeated the cry.  It was a risky move, but it paid off.  Three houses down, the light in one window flickered briefly.

“There’s our cue,” Inu said.  “Ready?”

Iruka nodded and, together, they moved in the direction of the house, keeping close to the walls and staying in the shadows.  Night seemed to advance quickly here in the desert and it was almost dark by the time they were in place, crouched beneath the window.

_Are you going up and in through the window?_ Iruka asked in shinobi sign language.

Inu nodded.  _Safer than through the front.  Be prepared in case it’s a trap._

Iruka pulled out a kunai and watched as Inu reached one hand out, grasped the window ledge and twisted, pulling himself inside in one quick, graceful movement.  Iruka followed, landing in a crouch just inside next to Inu, one hand on the rough floor for balance. He remained crouched down, not wanting to present a silhouette against the windows should anyone be observing.

 The room was empty, suspiciously so.  Iruka glanced around, noting the low bench against the back wall, covered with cushions, and the rug on the floor.  Under the rug would be an obvious place to hide the entrance to a secret room, almost too obvious.  Iruka twisted around, trusting Inu to have his back, and stared at the stone bench.  It appeared to be part of the wall, jutting out enough to offer enough room to sit or to sleep on, and travelled the entire length of the room.  Iruka glanced at the packed dirt floor, looking for prints and scuff marks that may show where their contact had gone to.  Nothing; their contact was clearly ninja trained, as to be expected, and careful not to leave a trace.  He was going to make them work for it, that much was evident.  Iruka couldn’t see any sign of a hurried exit so that meant Ryouichi was still in the room.

_Henge_ , Iruka thought.  He glanced around, eyes coming to rest on a suspicious looking plant in the corner of the room near the door. Nobody in their right mind would waste precious water out here in the desert, watering a plant, when it could be put to better use for drinking, washing and cooking.  Iruka narrowed his eyes, slowly turned away and, at the same time, pulled a couple of shuriken from a pouch.  He twisted back around and let fly toward the plant with the shuriken.  At the last possible second the image of the plant wavered, rather like a heat haze, and was replaced with the real deal; a tall man in brown desert clothing, holding a kunai.  The man deflected both shuriken skillfully and Iruka watched one skid across the floor, blades flashing as it spun, before it came to rest in front of him.

Neither the nin, or Iruka and Inu, moved.  The tense atmosphere began to climb further.  A few seconds ticked by as both parties sized each other up, clearly trying to decide if they were going to trust each other; there was much to lose if either party played this wrong. 

Inu’s voice cut through the room, speaking that phrase that seemed to be getting far too much usage these days.  “When the tree leaves dance, one shall find flames.”

Ryouichi grinned.  “The Fire’s shadow will illuminate the village, and once again, tree leaves shall bud anew.”

Inu nodded and moved to his feet in one graceful movement, Iruka following him.  Iruka picked up the shuriken and stood next to Inu.  No point in discarding useful ninja tools, he reasoned.  Plus, if anyone searched the premises, it would be a little hard to explain why Konoha weapons were present in Earth Country.

“Inu, Kurohyou, your reputations precede you,” Ryouichi said with a slight bow.  He had a pleasant voice, low and melodious.  There was a subtle resemblance to Ibiki, Iruka thought, if you looked hard enough.  No facial scars, but the bone structure was the same, along with a strong, square jaw.  It was basically Ibiki with short, brown hair, Iruka decided.  _Weird_.   “I suggest we get under cover.”  

“Agreed.  Please, lead the way,” Inu replied.

Ryouichi crossed over to the bench and pressed his toe against one of the small, decorative tiles that ran along the base. There was a click and then he reached down, sliding back the seat cover to expose a square hole, barely big enough for a grown man to get through.  “Candles on the top stair,” he offered for an explanation, and Inu moved forward, reaching inside to find the candle and light it.  Iruka watched as Inu descended, the warm glow of light disappearing after him.  Iruka went next, one hand on the rough stone wall, Ryouichi behind him.  There was a rather final sound of something being slid in place, a click, and then the stairwell went dark.  Ryouichi must have replaced the cover and locked it from inside, hiding the entrance once more.

The stairs bottomed out eventually and Iruka turned left, following the light of Inu’s candle.  It was a surprise to find quite a large room, carved out of the rock beneath the house.  A doorway led into another room, making the footprint of the basement much larger than the rooms above.

“Let’s get down to business,” Ryouichi said.  “No point in wasting time.  What the hell happened in Konoha?”

“You mean why did we go dark?” Inu said in flat, emotionless voice.  “Hokage’s orders.  We discovered that Rock and Mist are working on a long game, planning to infiltrate and invade Konoha.”

“Not just planning,” Iruka corrected.  “More like actively working towards that as a goal.”

Ryouichi raised an eyebrow, and then took the candle from Inu.  He moved around the room, lighting a couple of wall sconces.  Warm light filled the space, revealing a desk with a chair, and a number of cushions scattered on the floor around a brazier.  Ryouichi set about lighting the brazier, and within moments the chill of the air began to fade, filling the room with a pleasing warmth.  He gestured to the cushions and they all took a seat.  “I figured something must have happened,” Ryouichi said.  “I’ve been hoarding intelligence; I prefer to keep things in here,” Ryouichi tapped the side of his head, “in case I’m compromised.  Now you’re here, I can pass on what I know.”

“I can send one of my nin-dogs back with the intel if you want to write up a report,” Inu replied.  “Messenger hawks are off limits as per the Hokage’s orders until further notice.”

“That would be appreciated.”  Ryouichi paused, seemingly sizing up both Iruka and Inu.  “And how can I be of service to you both? I doubt if you came by personally just to collect an overdue intelligence report.  Something tells me my brother is knee-deep in shit and needs something from me.”

Iruka listened as Inu fleshed out what had been happening in Konoha; the missing and copied Forbidden Jutsu, what they’d found in Uzushio, the sleepers, and the assault on the village and the Hokage that had prompted the trip to Earth Country.  Ryouichi listened silently, clearly absorbing and cataloguing everything he was hearing, filing it all neatly away.  It was like watching Ibiki work, with one difference; Ryouichi sat perfectly still throughout the whole thing, one elbow resting on the kyousoku to one side of the cushions.

“This is very worrying,” Ryouichi said after a few moments.  “Some of the things I’ve heard now make more sense in the context of a proposed invasion of Konoha.  Two items of information worry me in particular, although I am not sure they are connected; one, the Tsuchikage appears to be using a group of terrorists to carry out some of his more… _questionable_ missions.  They’ve been seen moving about Earth Country a lot recently, dressed in black robes with a red cloud on them.  They’re a fairly new group, calling themselves _Akatsuki_.”

“I’m not familiar with the group,” Inu said, resting one elbow on his knee.  “I’m sure the Godaime will want to look into it further.”

“Agreed. Secondly, there’s been some rumblings in Hidden Rock village regarding the Daimyo.  Nothing concrete as such, more like whispers, but there’s an absence of solid facts.  To someone like me, who deals in information, this sends up an immediate red flag.”

Iruka frowned.  “What do you suspect is going on?”

“To all intents and purposes, at least on the surface, nothing.”  Ryouichi arched an eyebrow, managing to convey both scorn and sarcasm at the same time.  “But my informants, along with travelers to and from Kyassuru Gai, the quarters near the Daimyo’s residence, have noticed a marked increase in activity there.  That in itself is nothing new; Earth Country is in the habit of pissing off a great number of people on a regular basis.  It’s the type of activity that bothers me.  Usually Earth makes a great deal of fuss, moving nin about, sending runners here and there, the Tsuchikage making loud threats but actually doing nothing.  Onoki may be short in stature but he’s got one hell of a bite on him for someone pushing four feet tall.”

Iruka laughed, turning it at the last minute into a cough.

“You okay, Kurohyou?” Ryouichi said in a deadpan voice, reminding Iruka uncannily of Ibiki.

“Fine, fine.”  Iruka shifted, settling back into place on his cushion.  “Please, continue.”

“As I was saying, Onoki is a fence-sitter by nature.  So when we started to get unusual activity surrounding the Daimyo of Earth Country, I took notice.  There’s been a lot of unofficial communication between Mist and Rock recently; a lot of messages sent covertly via merchants and travelers paid to take them.  This makes it incredibly easy for my contacts to search these couriers, with them none the wiser.  There’s one name mentioned over and over again in these communiques.”

“And that is?” Inu asked.

“Hattori Rikuto.  He’s the Daimyo’s subordinate.  I’d bet my left ball he’s in the thick of something unpleasant, and here you two are, telling me both Rock and Mist are collaborating on trying to take down Konoha.”

“Clearly we need to visit Kyassuru Gai,” Inu said.  “Does this Hattori Rikuto move around a lot, Ryouichi? I don’t want to travel half way across Rock only to find this person isn’t there.”

Ryouichi shook his head.  “No, as the Daimyo’s assistant, he’s pretty much chained to the whim of the man, and it’s well known the Daimyo doesn’t like to travel unless he absolutely has to.”

“If this man is orchestrating an invasion of Konoha from the Daimyo’s castle,” Iruka said, “he’s either incredibly stupid or incredibly clever.  I’m not sure which is worse.”

“Don’t underestimate the Daimyo either,” Ryouichi cautioned.  “From the outside he appears rather mild mannered, but he didn’t inherit the title easily and there are some rather nasty rumours about the man dating back decades. But, nothing can be substantiated.  Watch yourselves.”

“One last thing.”  Inu shifted on his cushion.  “I know it will be difficult, but can you procure us Iwa uniforms?  ANBU gear would be best, but regular shinobi fatigues will work just as well.  I’d rather not have to sneak through half of Earth Country if we don’t have to.”

“Hmm.” Ryouichi appeared to be thinking.  “I’ll see what I can do.”  He climbed to his feet.  “Meantime you should both rest.  I’ll leave you some food, and some coffee.  There’s a bathroom through the door; make yourselves comfortable.”

“Thank you.”  Iruka rose to his feet and stretched.  “It will be nice to sleep on something other than rock for a change.”

Ryouichi nodded sympathetically.  “I don’t envy you the trek through the desert,” he said.  “Good night.”

Iruka watched Ryouichi climb the narrow staircase and turned to Inu.  “You plan for us to travel the roads to Kyassuru Gai?”

“Why not?” Inu shrugged.  “If Ryouichi can get us uniforms, we can travel in plain sight for most of the journey.  I plan to ask him if he has a map, but the Daimyo’s palace will be at least a day’s travel, if not two, from here, and that would be travelling at ANBU speed.  It will take much longer if we have to hide during the day and travel by night, which may be our only other course of action.”

Iruka made a face behind his mask at the thought.  “I suppose we could argue that Rock are so busy looking toward Konoha they’re probably not watching their own back door, but that would be too easy.  Plus, Tatsu is still unaccounted for.  She’s lived in Konoha most of her life, and I’d bet Ryouichi’s right ball she’s briefed this Hattori Rikuto on what we’re likely to do.”

“Not his left ball?” Inu asked.

“Ryouichi already bet that on Hattori.  It would be unfair to bet it again,” Iruka said archly.

Inu laughed, soft and low, reminding Iruka of much more pleasant things.  He ignored the frisson of desire it caused, focusing on the mission. Still, it appeared by the way Inu cocked his head that he’d picked up on it anyway.  

“Down, boy,” Iruka huffed, failing to sound firm.

“You’re no fun,” Inu whined, still laughing.

“Let’s get not killed first, and then get to the fun,” Iruka suggested.

Inu nodded.  “A wise suggestion, Kurohyou.  Channel all that energy into the fight, and then fuck like crazy.”

This time Iruka laughed.  No matter what the situation was, he was glad he was getting to spend time with Inu.  That was worth more than a hundred enemies, and a thousand S-Rank jutsu.   

 

 


	12. Chapter 12

“I’m sorry, but there was no way on such short notice I could get hold of any Rock shinobi fatigues,” Ryouichi explained, holding out two packages wrapped in cloth.  “You’re going to have to wear these instead if you intend to move around freely.”

Iruka took a bundle of mixed clothing from Ryouichi and shook the items out.  There was a pair of loose brown pants, a faded white shirt and a tan over-robe that reached down to his ankles, which could be left open in the front.  He nodded thanks when he realized Ryouichi had also included a long scarf, which could be wrapped around the head and across the lower part of his face. 

“Don’t forget; natives to this part of Rock also wear their swords, if they have one, at the hip.  Slide them through the wide obi-like band once you’ve wrapped it around your waist.”

“We’ll blend in nicely in these,” Inu said in an approving tone.  “My thanks.”

“Don’t thank me yet.”  Ryouichi pulled out a map and unfolded it, laying it on the floor between Inu and Iruka.  “As you can see, we are here.”  He pointed to a small speck on the map, directly west of where Tani was located in Waterfall.  “The main road runs from Tani, across the mountains and then to here.  From what you said, you came down this way.”  His finger traced well south of Tani, and then up and northwest in an arc, through what was labelled as ‘ _The Great Rock Desert_ ’.  “You’ll want to continue on this road west and then immediately north when it forks.  The landscape looks very similar to here; not much cover, and a lot of scrubby desert wasteland.  The Daimyo’s palace and Kyassuru Gai are about as far north as you can get in Earth Country, near the coastline.”

“Is that a river?”  Iruka pointed at a blue line on the map.  It trickled out from the north mountain range near Waterfall, meandered west in a couple of large, snakelike arcs, and then turned north, feeding into the coast.

“It is.  At a regular traveler’s pace, the southern arc of the river is a solid three days’ journey from here, maybe four depending on speed.  The land changes there; the Daimyo chose that location for a reason.  There’s a thin band of cultivation along the river, maybe a mile wide at best and, because of that, there’s a lot more development along it; small villages, who produce food locally, and some courtier’s residences and large estates.  Remember, the Hidden Village of Rock, located in the middle of the desert here,” Ryouichi pointed to the west and south near the middle of Earth, “is purely for shinobi and their families, and the odd merchant or worker who makes their money from the shinobi lifestyle.  Anyone in their right mind not connected to Hidden Rock lives either along the coast or near the river and Kyassuru Gai.”

“Is that so?  What a diverse and fascinating place,” Iruka said.  “I had no idea.” 

“Have you formulated a report for the Godaime yet?” Inu asked, cutting through Iruka’s thoughts.  “If so, I will summon one of my ninken and they can return the way we came with the information.”

“My thanks,” Ryouichi replied.  He held out a bound and sealed scroll, which Inu took.  “It’s in code, of course.”

“Is there anything else we should know before we leave?”

Ryouichi shook his head.  “No.  I’m not sure what you’ll find at Kyassuru Gai, but be on guard.  Not only does the Daimyo have his regular shinobi, but I’ve heard rumours of an elite set of six bodyguards he has.  He’s well protected, not to mention being constantly surrounded by a castle full of courtiers and shinobi.  I don’t envy you trying to infiltrate that.”

Inu shrugged.  “Maybe it’ll be easier to just walk in, dressed like this.”

“I hope you are joking,” Ryouichi said flatly, crossing his arms.  He looked very much like Ibiki at that moment, and Iruka suppressed a shudder at the thought of them both in the room at the same time.

Ryouichi leveled them with a stern glare and said, “Get changed and get the fuck out of here, before we draw too much attention to ourselves.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka was glad of his ANBU conditioning once they set out.  They walked all morning beneath the hard, bright sun, eventually coming across the fork in the road that Ryouichi had mentioned.  Once noon hit, the world turned into a desolate, shimmering haze, and they sought shelter in the shade of one of the myriad rock outcroppings that lined the road.  They both dozed, half-awake for any sign of trouble, and then continued on once the worst of the day’s heat had passed.

“This sucks ass,” Iruka grumbled after a number of hours.  The sun was now a giant orange ball setting low on the horizon.  “I don’t think I can do this for two or three more days.  I don’t know how civilians can travel at such a slow place; it’s excruciating.”

“We may not have to,” Inu replied enigmatically, gesturing over his shoulder behind them.

Iruka glanced back, seeing only a dust cloud in the distance.  He grinned behind the scarf across his face.  “Is that what I think it is?”

Inu shrugged.  “An object, or persons, moving at speed.  I’d guess a band of shinobi.”

Iruka considered.  “How many do you think?”

“You mean how many do we need to take down?”

Iruka laughed.  “I’m guessing only two or three by the dust displacement.  If we have uniforms, we can move at their speed unnoticed.”

Inu put a hand to his eyes and glanced ahead.  “There’s another pile of rocks ahead, good place for an ambush.”

“Let’s get the fuck on with it, then,” Iruka suggested impatiently.  “Then we can switch out clothing and get out of the desert that much faster.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As it turned out, it was a small squad of three shinobi, and they were not expecting an attack.  They paused in the shade of the outcropping of jumbled rock, resting for a moment, sharing a water bottle and joking around.

From above, Iruka shook his head and glanced at Inu.  As usual, he couldn’t see much of Inu’s face; his eyes were the only thing visible above the scarf he had wrapped around his head.  “Ready?” Iruka asked in a whisper.

Inu nodded, and then dropped silently over the side of the rock face.  It was risky, as the road was close by, but they had seen no sign of other travelers, so it was a calculated danger.  Inu landed right behind the first nin, kunai sliding like butter through the man’s shoulder and down into his torso.  He fell silently, while the other two seemed frozen in shocked silence.  Iruka copied Inu, dropping from above, but now the nin were wary and the remaining two, a man and a woman, immediately jumped backward out of reach.  The element of surprise was gone.

Iruka kicked out, catching the woman in the stomach, and drew his sword and a kunai, clashing with the second man, while Inu moved to intercept the woman.  Iruka lost himself to the fight, looking to end it quickly before they drew too much attention.  The man was young, maybe a few years younger than Iruka, but he fought fast and furious as if to make up for inexperience. Iruka ignored the wild, panicked look in his eyes as their swords met, knowing that this was a case of need.  If Iruka was going to stack the fate of Konoha and Fire Country against one man’s life, he knew which one he’d pick.  His sword slid smoothly through the nin’s chest, and he fell to the ground, lifeless.  When Iruka turned around, Inu had finished with the woman.

“Let’s get these bodies out of sight,” Inu said, panting slightly.

Iruka nodded and sheathed his blade.  He bent down, picking up the body of the young man and throwing it over his shoulder.  Inu did the same with the woman, and then went back for the first body while Iruka began stripping the male of his clothing.  Fortunately, they were of a similar build, which was useful.  Inu returned with the other male and began pulling off his uniform, changing quickly with his back to Iruka.  When Iruka turned around, Inu had the typical red and brown Rock shinobi uniform on.  “What are you going to do about your face?” Iruka asked, directing the question at Inu’s back.

“Henge.  We can’t wear our ANBU masks and I’m not willing to only wear the cloth one.” 

“Not a bad idea.”  Iruka watched Inu flick through a couple of hand signs, and when he turned around it was a bit of a shock.  Before him stood a tall, slender, but well-muscled Rock shinobi, with silver hair, piercing blue eyes and a long, diagonal, badly healed scar that ran from his forehead all the way across his face to his jaw and neck.

“Hells teeth, you look ugly,” Iruka said with a laugh.

“What?” Inu tried to sound offended.  “It’s a good disguise.  Besides, how do you know this isn’t my real face?”

“You look like you got in a fight with half of Hidden Rock.”

“I was going for the popular ‘almost got decapitated in a bar fight’ look.”

Iruka snorted.  “And you succeeded.”  Iruka adjusted his black cloth mask firmly over his face.  “I think I’ll stick with the mask, thanks.”

Inu knelt down and began to go through the packs of shinobi gear, pulling out the useful stuff like weaponry and a couple of poison antidotes.  “These will be useful,” he said, tossing one pack to Iruka.  “Local remedies will be invaluable if one of us gets bitten by something out here.”

Iruka caught the pack and secured it around his hips, then finished tying the Rock hitae-ate around his forehead.  “It’s going to be hard getting used to this uniform,” he said.  “I’m not sure what the point is of having a single long sleeve and a short sleeve.  I feel off balance.”

“Yes, but it hides your tattoo nicely,” Inu pointed out.  “I found some coins on this body.  Local currency will be very handy.”

“Okay, I’m ready,” Iruka said, sliding his sword across his back, glad of the familiar weight to ground him in the foreign outfit.

“I’m going to bury the bodies.”  Inu flashed through hand signs, starting with the snake seal, and Iruka watched as the ground seemed to liquefy and the bodies began to sink.

“How many elements do you have?” Iruka asked.  “That’s an earth-based technique.”

“A few. I’m going to bury them deep; we don’t want desert predators digging them up and exposing the remains before the mission is over.”

Iruka stood by, watching as Inu finished his task.  Then Iruka set about obliterating all signs of the fight as best he could.  Once that was done, the sun had almost set.  “We should get clear of here before we camp for the night,” he suggested and Inu nodded agreement.

“Travelling at shinobi speeds, we should make good time tomorrow, and hopefully reach the river by nightfall if we push ourselves.”

“Ahhh, _water_ ,” Iruka said.  “I had no idea how much I’d miss it until we came to Earth Country.  I’ll be happy to never see this godforsaken place again.”

“You and me both,” Inu grumbled, “Although with the current state of affairs, that seems highly unlikely.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They made good time all through the next day, travelling at shinobi speeds, and they camped again the following evening near a small rock-lined pool situated a half mile from the road.  Rough grass had grown around the pool, along with a couple of anemic looking trees sporting only a few leaves, as if proper growth was simply too much effort for the plants.  Iruka stood next to the pool and stared down at his reflection.  “I would have thought this would have been busier,” Iruka said.  “It’s the only water source for miles.”

Inu tossed one of his packs onto the grass and settled down, ankles crossed in front of him.  He looked relaxed, but Iruka knew that was about as far from the truth as possible.  The only time Iruka had seen Inu totally relaxed was in the aftermath of a good orgasm and those, unfortunately, were few and far between.

“It’s far enough back from the road that most people wouldn’t bother with it,” Inu replied.  “Plus, if you count how long it would take normal people to travel in a day, this would be out of sync with the regular traveler waystations.  I’d bet money this is probably a shinobi stopping off point.”

“Should we be concerned?”  Iruka raked his gaze across the desert, watching for telltale movement that would alert them to an enemy presence.

Inu shook his head.  “We’re Rock shinobi, remember? Plus, if we were going to have company, we’d probably have run into it by now.”

“True.”  Iruka settled down across from Inu and pulled out a blanket.  “I think the pool is shinobi-made, too.”

“Oh?”

Inu cocked his head to the side, and privately Iruka thought it was sort of disturbing, because it was such an Inu-like gesture, yet the face was totally foreign. “The sides of the basin are fitted together like stones, but it’s too smooth for nature.  Looks like someone got creative with an earth-based jutsu and utilized the natural spring that bubbles up here.”

“Well, whoever they are, we owe them thanks,” Inu said.  “We should fill all the water canteens while we can and pack the extra water in your supply scroll.  I presume you’ve got that hidden on you somewhere?”

“Of course.”  Iruka rummaged around in the pack strapped across his lower back, pulling out the scroll. 

“Good.  I’ll take first watch.”  Inu leapt to the top of another low outcropping of rock and hunkered down, until he looked like just another one of the variously shaped rocks, silhouetted against the dusk sky.

Iruka lay down and wrapped himself in the blanket knowing that, if he didn’t, the dew that would form beneath him would be uncomfortable to say the least.  “Wake me in four hours.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

They followed the same routine the next day; travel, rest during the hottest part of the day, travel again.  The sun had just set when they reached the outer edge of the band of cultivation along the southern reach of the river, and they camped again since neither of them was familiar with the lay of the land.  The road was busier now; travelers more common.  “How far to Kyassuru Gai, do you think?” Iruka asked.

Inu paused, clearly going over the map in his head.  “If we keep pace, we should reach it by late afternoon.”

Iruka nodded.  “Good.  I want this done with as soon as possible.”

The castle was visible a long way before they reached the town.  It was situated on a hill with the town spread out below, a sprawling mass of stone houses and, in the common quarters, huts and lean-tos.  This wasn’t a shinobi village, so they were able to simply walk through the south gate, the two guards on duty giving them a cursory nod and waving them inside.

“What’s the plan?” Iruka asked, sidestepping a pile of something unsavory on the side of the road.

“Since we’ve got some money, let’s get a room. Then we can figure out a game plan.”

They wandered for an hour, looking for a suitable place to stay, Inu finally settling on a small inn off one of the side streets.  It looked decent; somewhere shinobi might stay without being too ostentatious.  It had a small courtyard with a storage yard, and a bakery in the lower level that faced the street.  Iruka approved; it was private, and yet the front of the inn was busy enough with the bakery that they could come and go without it being noted.

Iruka set about stowing their gear in the small room while Inu went out to get food.  Iruka was just lighting the single oil lamp when Inu returned with something wrapped in a small paper package.  “What’s that?”

Inu sat down on the futon next to Iruka and held out the package.  “Local delicacy from the bakery downstairs.”

Iruka wrinkled his nose under the mask.  “I never trust anyone when they say _local delicacy_.  I’ve had bad experiences before.”

Inu laughed.  “Go on, unwrap it.”

Iruka did, surprised to find a square of pastry made of many thin layers, with something very sticky and sweet in the middle.  “What’s inside?”  He sniffed it; it smelt like sugar.

“The woman downstairs said it’s got some kind of nuts in a sweet sugar paste inside.  I wasn’t going to argue with her; after all, it’s real food and not rations.”

Iruka put the package to one side.  “So what did you find out?”

“Ever the shinobi,” Inu said with a laugh.  “But people do like to talk, especially if you look as ugly as I do at the moment.  They automatically feel sorry for you and talk to fill the silence because it makes them feel less uncomfortable.”

“I see you’re good with the psychology,” Iruka drawled.

“It’s one of my many special talents.  I have more.”

“I know you do.  Now spill what you found out.”

Inu pouted which, on his current face, was comical to say the least.  “All work and no play, Kurohyou.”

Iruka narrowed his eyes, but didn’t say anything more.

“Fine, fine.” Inu held up both hands in a gesture of defeat.  “Now eat some of that pastry.”  Inu fingers flickered in his lap, out of sight of the door.  _Switch to shinobi hand signs, Kurohyou, in case anyone is eavesdropping._

Iruka nodded.  “How much of this do you want?”  He rustled the pastry wrapper and placed it between them.  _What did you discover?_

Inu tore off a piece of the pastry and put it his mouth, chewing, with a smug grin on his face.  Iruka glowered, unable to eat because of the mask.  _The Daimyo’s palace is in the north quarter; we’re in the south,_ Inu sighed _.  Unfortunately, the north quarter, where the palace is, is on an island in the middle of the river._

_What?_ Iruka responded, fingers flashing quickly through signs.

_Entry by invitation only_ , Inu replied.  Actually, Iruka read it as ‘entry by _installation_ only’, partly because Inu had sticky, honey-covered fingers and he had to stop to lick them clean with deliberate, slow actions, swirling his tongue around each digit.  Iruka swallowed around a suddenly dry mouth and tore his gaze from Inu’s fingers, only then noticing the diabolical grin on Inu’s face.

“Give me that.”  Iruka pulled the pastry away from Inu.  _How are we going to get inside?_

_Inside what, Kurohyou?_ Inu leaned forward until they were almost touching.  Iruka fought not to move, feeling his heart rate increase with every passing second.  Then he growled and pushed Inu backward, just as there was a knock on the shoji screen.

“Shinobi-san?”  Iruka sprung backward as if burned, face heated, and managed to resume the same position as before.  Inu lounged back on one elbow, the picture of calm indolence, but Iruka could see every line of Inu’s body was tense. 

“Come in,” Inu said.

The innkeeper pushed open the door and bowed.  “Sorry to disturb you, Shinobi-san, but I wanted to let you know the bathhouse is free if you wish to use it.”

“Thank you,” Iruka responded when Inu didn’t say anything.  “We’ll be down straight away.”

Satisfied, the old woman nodded and closed the door, her soft footsteps retreating down the hallway.

“I’m going to kill you,” Iruka hissed, giving vent to frustration.  “Are you trying to blow our cover?”

“Unfortunately I’m not blowing anything,” Inu pointed out.  “Besides, if the old woman thinks we’re fooling around, we’re less likely to be disturbed.”

Iruka wanted to deny it, but Inu had a point.  “Bastard.”

“Your bastard,” Inu said with a leer.

Iruka felt his face heat and was glad, for the thousandth time, of his cloth mask.  Trying to stay on topic was hard, especially after that declaration.  He would think about that later, but for now, Iruka asked, _What are we going to do about the Daimyo’s palace?  We need to get in there, find out where Hattori Rikuto is._

Inu sighed, clearly acknowledging that they needed to stay on track.  _Have you ever done an infiltration assignment before?_ Inu signed.

_Yes, before I joined the Oinin Butai.  You’re suggesting we go undercover?_

Inu looked thoughtful.  _We really have no choice.  Taking a couple of days to get the lay of the town will be invaluable if we want to be successful.  We need to know exit and entry points, numbers of shinobi and, if possible, find out where the forbidden scrolls are, along with our force-bred Aburame.  We need to remove that threat so that Rock can no longer use this jutsu on our sleepers.  Secondary to this is finding out what Hattori has to do with this whole mess._

Iruka nodded, thinking quickly _.  If we’re going to infiltrate the town successfully, we should take odd jobs; move around.  I could try to get a day job on one of the estates or maybe in the castle._

_Good idea.  I’ll hit the bars._

_What?!_   Iruka managed to sign that with enough vehemence to make even sign language appear to be a squawk of indignation.

Inu grinned.  _I can do the run of the local bars; act like a shinobi new to the town.  It’s a different avenue of information than a civilian can provide and, if we play things right, we’ll have two types of information to work from.  Agreed?_

_Agreed,_ Iruka replied after a moment.  _Don’t spend all the money._

Inu laughed out loud, clearly amused.  _I’ll try not to._ “Shall we go get that bath?” he said out loud.

“Yes, I’d really like to get clean,” Iruka replied.  “It feels like we’ve been in the desert for ages.  Thank the gods for civilization and onsen.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At dawn, dressed in the civilian clothing he’d gotten from Ryouichi, Iruka set off in search of menial labour.  He followed the scent of the river, eventually coming across the docks, where a number of small skiffs were anchored, laden with parcels and packages.

“You lost, son?”  A deep voice cut into Iruka’s musings, and he turned around to find a tall, well built, black haired man standing behind him. 

Iruka started to bristle at being referred to as ‘son’, but then managed to get his temper in check. “Looking for work, actually,” Iruka said after a moment.

The man seemed to be sizing Iruka up, and Iruka forced his shinobi reflexes down, made himself relax and become unassuming, less of a threat.  It seemed to work because, after a few moments, the man seemed to come to some kind of decision.  “I can give you a day’s work.  Nothing more, mind.  I need to get these packages unloaded onto the docks and make it back to my ship by nightfall.  You in?”

Iruka appeared to consider the offer.  “How much?”

“Five copper coins.”

Iruka paused.  Best not to seem to eager, he thought.  “Ten and I’ll have it done by dinner.”

“Seven.”  The bargeman spat into his hand and held it out, looking expectant.

Iruka extended his hand, trying not to grimace as they shook hands on the deal.  “Let’s get to work.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every morning Iruka would set out, looking for work and, through that, information.  Both he and Inu knew this wasn’t going to be an easy task and, after the first couple of days, they realized they were going to have to gather information carefully if they wanted to avoid drawing attention to themselves.  This wasn’t going to be a rush job; a quick in and out.

After the first few days, they moved to the west quarters, partly so Inu wouldn’t be recognized.  A lone shinobi not taking regular missions would be unusual, so they needed to move around, or otherwise Inu might find himself part of the Rock mobilization that appeared to be going on.  Mobilizing Hidden Rock were, although stealthily, quietly, pulling a squad here, one there.  Iruka had a very good idea that Onoki was moving shinobi to the borders with the intent to be ready when Konoha was deemed ripe for invasion.  This made Iruka’s information gathering even more crucial.  He started changing his appearance every few days, wearing a new face and using a henge as his facial scar would make him stand out.  He hoped Genma and Raidou never found out he’d borrowed their features, or Kotetsu.  Iruka had, at one point, copied Kotetsu’s habit of wearing a bandage across his face, which allowed him to pass freely as himself but without the visible scar.  It also allowed him to preserve his chakra as even a henge kept active for a long time would drain him unnecessarily.  Iruka returned to his room every night to meet Inu, mainly to exchange what information they could via hand signs.  Then, Inu would head out to the bar to do his reconnaissance and leave Iruka to sleep off the day’s work.

Three days later, they moved again, circulating this time to the east end of the town.  The Daimyo’s castle dominated the skyline, five stories high with a massive, sloping retaining wall, surrounded by a deep moat.  It was a source of constant frustration to Iruka, who needed to get inside and scope the layout for when they pushed forward with their infiltration.  Over the past week or so, they’d managed to confirm that Hattori Rikuto was inside, but nothing else.  Iruka needed the layout if they were to find the missing copies of the forbidden jutsu and, in turn, find out what the hell Hattori had to do with the plan to invade Konoha.

“You, down there.”  Iruka spun around, heart hammering, and came face to face with the sleek flank of a horse.  His gaze travelled higher until he found the rider, staring down at him.  Today, Iruka had dirty blonde hair and brown eyes, unusual in somewhere like Earth Country, but it had been all he could think of that morning.  He’d worn the features of many of his friends, and now he was branching out to people he’d seen on missions.  The person he was today was actually a Lightning shinobi he’d fought on one of his first missions, years ago.

“Are you looking at the castle?”  The retainer – judging by his clothes – asked. He wore his hair slicked back in a queue, with a red ribbon tied around it.  His outfit was ostentatious; just garish enough to make his giant hawk-like nose and pinched mouth less noticeable.  Iruka had never seen defensive dressing used in quite that fashion before.

Iruka offered a low bow, since he was supposed to be part of the working masses, and replied, “Yes, lord.  It’s quite impressive.”

The man harrumphed an agreement.  “That it is.  Pride of the Daimyo.  The castle grounds are quite incredible to see, although someone of your class could never hope to see them.”

“I suppose so, lord.”  _Arrogant bastard_. 

“Well, on your way.  I have business with the Daimyo and he must not be kept waiting.”

Iruka bowed again and stood to the side to allow the man and his retinue to pass.  It was a golden opportunity; too good to pass up.  As the lord’s baggage cart went by, Iruka snagged a small box from the back and fell into line, blending into the rear of the lord’s retinue.  They waited at the gate while the guards checked out the lord’s pass, then waited some more while they searched the cart.  Then Iruka was waved inside, clearly of no importance to the guards.  Iruka grinned fiercely; it was a stupid mistake on their part – one they’d probably pay for later.

He stayed with the baggage until they reached the stables.  Once inside, he ducked into an alcove and used a henge to change his clothes and appearance once more, borrowing Genma’s face again.  He matched his clothes to the gardeners, snagged a straw hat and a hoe, and headed into the grounds.  Genma was going to kill him for this if he ever found out, that was for sure.

Iruka spent the day, ostensibly weeding, and in reality, taking detailed mental notes about the layout of the castle grounds, its defenses and weaknesses, and the number of trained shinobi and personnel.  He wasn’t going to push his luck and attempt to get inside the castle; the grounds held many buildings, confusing enough as it was.  Store houses, kitchens, defensive walls sectioning off areas he couldn’t hope to gain access to, guard towers; the place was a veritable maze, designed to hold off a massive attacking army, to confuse and disorientate them. 

As night fell, he drifted with the crowd of workers toward the stables and then slipped away, finding a small space behind a building to spend the night.  Now that he’d made it inside the castle, it would be stupid to leave without gathering as much information as he could.  He knew Inu wouldn’t panic immediately; quite rightly he’d probably assume that Iruka had come across some information and would return when he could.  There was also no way to get information to Inu, so it was imperative that Iruka play this cautiously and get out alive and intact and that meant taking no unnecessary risks.

After a cold and uncomfortable night’s sleep, Iruka changed faces again and blended back in with the crowd of ground staff, trying his best to look like he belonged there.  The gamble paid off; around midmorning, Iruka overheard two of the Daimyo’s retainers talking and moved closer.  He began to deadhead a flowering shrub, hoping to hell he looked like he knew what he was doing.  Fortunately, in the way of all servants, to the retainers he was invisible, even if he was in plain sight.  It was then that Iruka overheard a rather interesting piece of information: that, every night after the evening meal, once it was dark, both the Daimyo and his assistant, Hattori, disappeared for couple of hours.  They apparently spent time in the Daimyo’s strong room, and the gossip assumed that they were going through the Daimyo’s accounts or, as the other suggested, that the Daimyo had a mistress he didn’t want his _other_ mistress to know about. 

Iruka smirked to himself; somewhat reliable information at last.  The Daimyo and his assistant may well be going over the accounts, but a reinforced strong room would be the perfect place to also store the copied forbidden jutsu.  If the information was accurate, this not only implicated Hattori but the Daimyo as well, which made this mission even more crucial to the survival of Konoha.  Iruka wished he could get this information to Inu, and at the very least Ryouichi, but to do the latter would be foolhardy and dangerous.  They had their directive from the Godaime: do what was needed to end the threat to Konoha.

Iruka stared at the sky, noting the position of the sun.  The day was almost done, and the sun was starting to drift low toward the horizon.  Iruka needed to get out now, before the gates closed for the evening, and he needed to find Inu immediately.  He leaned his hoe against a wall and stretched, looking around for a quick way to exit without drawing attention to himself. 

It was then that he saw her, near one of the decorative borders of plants; _Tatsu_.  He recognized the mask, which she had not bothered to replace with something new.  It was of the utmost arrogance to keep a Konoha ANBU mask, to wear it in plain sight in the Daimyo of Earth Country’s residence.  Iruka was not surprised, knowing what he did of Tatsu’s personality from their previous mission. Clearly she had enough standing with either the Daimyo or Hattori that it was not a problem. 

Tatsu was leaning against a wall, watching him. He felt the touch of something cold and mostly intangible; she was brushing her chakra over his, searching him out, a violation any shinobi would abhor, enemy or not. But this also meant she hadn’t immediately recognized his chakra, which was a good thing.  Iruka felt his heart rate climb and fought to regulate it, to appear unconcerned and maybe a little bit confused by her interest.  He bowed, as a menial worker would to any of rank above him.  After a few moments, she turned away, seemingly disinterested.  Iruka breathed a sigh of relief, but was not naïve enough to think he’d gotten away with it.  He needed to get clear of the castle quickly, before Tatsu remembered where she’d felt his chakra before.

It took him an hour to clear the castle with the last group of workers returning home for the night, and another half hour to trek to the east quarter.  He ducked into an alleyway and changed his features back to that of Genma’s, figuring that, if Tatsu did remember him, she’s send a search party out with a description of what he’d looked like earlier. It was a good job she’d never seen his real face, only his persona as a captain of the _Oinin Butai_.  It took Iruka a further fifteen minutes to locate the bar Inu had said he was currently staking out amongst the warren of alleyways and lanes.  As luck would have it, Inu was arriving at the same time Iruka walked by. 

Inu stared, clearly recognizing Genma’s face, and then he leered to cover his surprise.  “Hey!” he called out, and Iruka slowed down, glancing over his shoulder.  “How much for a quick one?”

Iruka mentally swore and wondered how he was going to get out of this situation and get Inu alone quickly.  Five or six other shinobi who’d arrived with Inu were standing around, catcalling and slapping Inu on the back, egging him on.  On the other hand, Iruka reasoned, this would be a good way to let Inu know what he’d found out, although he hoped that Inu was good at retaining information while distracted.  He smiled, a little bit shyly, and judging by Inu’s face, he’d probably never imagined Genma could make that kind of expression.  “Depends on how big your dick is,” Iruka replied mockingly, sauntering over.  “But for you, sweetheart, two coins for a hand job.”

Inu’s expression was priceless.  A little bit shocked, clearly a bit freaked out since Iruka looked like Genma, and clearly torn because he knew it _was_ Iruka.  “Deal,” Inu managed to croak out while his new friends cheered him on.

Iruka smirked and headed toward the nearest alleyway.  “At your convenience, shinobi-san,” he called over his shoulder.  Iruka didn’t look back, recognizing Inu’s chakra, and he turned another corner, slipping into the courtyard behind the bar.  As soon as Inu rounded the corner, Iruka slammed him back against the wall and leaned in, breath hot on Inu’s neck and hand reaching for the catch on Inu’s regulation shinobi pants.  “I realize this is weird, since neither of us actually look like each other, but go with the flow.”

“Could you not look like Genma while you do this? It’s freaking me out just a little bit.” Inu grunted when Iruka’s hand closed over his hardening cock and then he let out a shaky sigh.  “Kurohyou, you really don’t have to – “

“Oh, but I do,” Iruka breathed against Inu’s neck.  “If we get interrup – “

“Whoops, sorry!”  The shinobi who had just rounded the corner backed away, blushing, hands up in apology.  “Carry on!”

“That’s why,” Iruka whispered.  “Plus I kind of like the idea of you hard in my hand and maybe a little bit at my mercy.”  He grazed his teeth along Inu’s neck, flicking his tongue out, tasting Inu’s skin for the first time, breathing his familiar scent.

Inu swallowed and moaned as Iruka stroked him slowly.  “ _Fuck_ , Kurohyou.”  His hand strayed to Iruka’s hip, fingers clenching as Iruka worked him.

“I need you to pay attention.  We have a problem.”

Inu let out a low laugh, voice whiskey-rough with desire.  “The walls could fall down and I probably wouldn’t care right now.”  He rolled his hips, timing it with Iruka’s strokes, pushing into Iruka’s fist.

“I made it into the castle and I saw Tatsu.”  Inu stopped moving, his whole body tensing.  “Good; now I have your attention,” Iruka whispered.  “It’s quite possible she recognized my chakra; she wouldn’t have recognized _me_ since I looked differently at the time.  At the very _least_ we have to account for the fact that she’d have recognized my chakra as being shinobi-trained.”

“Are you sure?”  Inu moved his hips a little and Iruka gave Inu’s cock a quick, hard stroke, pulling a shuddering breath from him.

“I’m sure it was her; she was still wearing her ANBU mask.  This is the key we were looking for; the connection to Hattori Rikuto. Plus, I’ve found out the Daimyo and Hattori disappear each night for a few hours into his strong room.  The forbidden jutsu scrolls could well be inside that room.”

Inu wrapped his hand around Iruka’s and Iruka let Inu lead for the moment.  It was clear he thinking although, judging by his shortness of breath, he was good at multitasking.  Iruka flicked his thumb over the head of Inu’s cock, pulling a low moan from him.  Iruka was hard too; all those little sounds Inu made went straight to his cock, sending delicious shivers up his spine like the dance of electricity.  “Inu?”

Inu let his head fall forward onto Iruka’s shoulder, partly in desire and probably to avoid any potential onlooker’s reading his lips.  “We need to – _ahh, yeah, don’t stop_ – we have to get inside the castle as soon as possible,” Inu managed to say.  He pulled Iruka closer, hand snaking under the back of Iruka’s pants, resting at the base of his spine, tantalizingly close to the crack of his ass.  Iruka began to jerk Inu off with rough, fast strokes, all talk forgotten for the time being, reveling in the noises Inu made, the way his body tightened, the way his hips jerked into Iruka’s hand. Inu came silently, throwing his head back, fingers kneading into Iruka’s back, blunt nails no doubt leaving marks that Iruka was happy to wear.  After a few moments Inu let out a deep breath and pulled, twisting, until Iruka was now with his back to the wall, pinned in place. 

“What are you doing?” Iruka hissed.

“Earning my two coins back,” Inu remarked with a raised eyebrow.  “Besides, we haven’t finished formulating a plan yet.”

“You never gave me my two coins in the first place,” Iruka pointed out.

“Huh, so I didn’t.  Sorry about that.”  Inu fumbled with the catch of Iruka’s pants and slipped his hand inside.  “My, my.  I’m not going to have to do much work, am I?”  Inu gave Iruka’s cock a squeeze and followed up with a long, lingering stroke.  “Maybe we should plan later?”

Iruka closed his eyes, because the sight of Inu’s triumphant leer was simply too much and he wanted desperately to come.  “Maybe you should shut that clever mouth of yours _and do something_.”

“Oh, after this mission, I’m going to do a lot with my mouth,” Inu promised. 

“That’s what I was afraid you’d say,” Iruka replied, giving in and clutching at Inu’s shoulders, urging him on with his hips.  Right now, as far as Iruka was concerned, the mission could go hang itself.


	13. Chapter 13

It was clear to both Iruka and Inu that time had just run out for them.  With Tatsu no doubt aware that one, or both, of them, were present in Kyassuru Gai, they had to move quickly if they wanted the mission to have any chance of success.  They’d returned to the inn, as there was no point in Inu doing further reconnaissance in the bars.  Iruka felt strangely relaxed, probably due in part to seeing an end to the mission, and partly because of the outstanding orgasm he’d just had.  He’d slept well, and they spent the next day packing their things, organizing weapons and discussing tactics with shinobi hand signs so they wouldn’t be overheard.

As dusk fell, Iruka pulled on his ANBU blacks, flak jacket and his arm protectors, watching as Inu did the same.  It was a ritual now, and as Iruka wound the red bandages around his biceps, he started to truly feel like Kurohyou again.  His body posture changed, becoming less indolent, more predatory.  He dropped the henge as he pulled on the cloth mask, and then slid the black porcelain mask over his features.  He breathed out a sigh of relief; he was _Kurohyou_ , the Black Panther, and not some nameless, ever-changing face in a crowd.  That had been the problem since they arrived in Earth Country, he decided; he hadn’t been Iruka or Kurohyou.  Now he was no longer lost, and the proper work of the mission could begin.

Inu turned to Iruka, fully dressed in the familiar ANBU outfit and his porcelain mask and said, “Ready?”

Iruka nodded, and, together they moved to the window.  He checked outside, watching for movement and, detecting none, slipped over the sill and dropped to the ground, landing in the rear courtyard.  Five quick steps and he leapt to the tile-covered roof of one of the storehouses, listening for Inu’s almost silent steps behind him.  They moved through the shadows, keeping to the rooftops, slipping from one building to the other without a sound.  Iruka was pleased to find that the resulting weeks he’d spent as a civilian had not dulled his senses or his skills, and he reveled in the deception even as they moved closer to the Daimyo’s castle.

They dropped to the ground as they reached the docks by the river and slid into the cover of an alleyway filled with rubbish.  Inu landed next to him, his mask only just visible in the darkness.  “We can cross the river on foot,” Iruka said.  “The problem will be getting inside the castle but, like I said before, I noticed a fracture in the retaining wall on the south side.  All we need to do is reach that.”

Inu nodded and slipped from the alleyway, Iruka following close behind as they used the houses to move from one section to another, angling around to the south.  The main entrance to the castle was on the east side, which made their job easier.  Most of the sentries would be guarding the entrance, as it was the one weak point in the wall.  Clearly nobody had planned for an attack or infiltration on the other sides; the castle was on an island, and it was built to defend against an army attacking en masse, not a couple of shinobi working alone.

Water splashed over Iruka’s toes as they crossed the moat.  This was easy; unlike crossing the sea to Uzushio, there were no choppy waves or currents to interfere with his chakra placement.  In moments they were at the base of the giant wall.  From the ground, it had to be fifty feet to the top, but the beauty of the plan was not to cross over the top and make their way across the gardens.  That would have been foolhardy; guaranteed to get them killed quickly and messily.  They were going to do what Konoha ANBU were famed for through the great nations; get in, get the job done, and get out fast.  Or at least that’s what Iruka was hoping for.

The thin grassy verge that separated the moat from the base of the wall was exposed and, while there was thankfully very little moonlight, neither of them were willing to take chances standing around.  As soon as their feet touched the ground, Iruka crouched and braced his back against the wall for leverage.  In one smooth movement, Inu placed his foot in Iruka’s crossed hands and Iruka pushed, effectively throwing Inu up the face of the wall.  Inu pulled a kunai and twisted in the air, jamming the point between the thin gap between the stones that made up the wall.  He swung his body, and used another kunai to grip further up.  Iruka repeated the process, jamming his toes into the cracks to remain flush against the wall.  By the time he reached Inu, Inu had found the section of compromised wall Iruka had noticed during his earlier reconnaissance.  It wasn’t much; simply that the stone was weak and inclement weather over the years had caused it to crack and split.  The beauty of it all was that, judging by what Iruka and Inu knew of similarly built castles, there was most likely going to be an underground passage behind the retaining wall.  This was the key to their plan; to go in underground, straight to the source, and skip a messy frontal surface attack.

Inu placed a hand on the stones and concentrated.  Iruka hung close to the wall, hardly daring to move.  If they were noticed now, it would be game over.   “I’m going to use an earth based technique to see if I can get the wall to crumble,” Inu whispered.  Iruka nodded and tightened his grip on the two kunai he had embedded in the wall.  Iruka felt a slight trembling in the stone, and small grains of dirt and mortar slipped past him, but nothing on the scale he’d expected.  He looked at Inu for askance, but Inu simply shook his head.  “I need you to use a water jutsu.  If we combine my earth and your water techniques, we can create a mudflow inside the filler of the wall. Let’s try to finesse this and not create much noise.”

Iruka nodded and braced himself against the wall, ready to form hand signs.  Inu began to move his hands rapidly, flashing through seals and, after a moment, Iruka began forming signs for a water wave, channeling less chakra than he would normally use, partly so the sound would not carry. He didn’t want to create a giant wave; just enough of one to liquefy the filler behind the stonework.  Together they pressed their palms against the stone, directing the jutsu internally.  Iruka felt his chakra slide against Inu’s, twisting around, and he could almost picture the dirt inside liquefy and start to subside gently, moving downward now it was heavy with water, trying to find a natural level.  After a few minutes, Iruka relaxed the jutsu and pulled back, feeling Inu do the same.

“Got it.  Hopefully we weren’t heard.”  Inu formed a fist, pale blue chakra outlining his hand.  He slammed his fist into the wall and the stone crumbled, dropping to the grass below, the dirt muffling the sound effectively.  Inu swung out of the way and Iruka moved over in front of the hole left behind, pulled himself up and over and slid through the small gap Inu had created.  Iruka was barely able to squeeze through but, in retrospect, the smaller the hole, the less chance for discovery.

Their combined jutsu seemed to have done the job.  Although it was an unorthodox approach, the mud had done what they’d suspected it would. As it had dripped through to the lower levels of the walls, it had formed just enough of a tunnel before them that they could travel through it, until they reached the inner layer.  At that point, Iruka pulled out a large bladed knife with a serrated edge and a hook at the tip and began working at the thin layer of facing stone that made up the inside of the wall in front of him, pulling the stones into the passageway and to the side.  Behind him, he heard Inu resealing the passageway entrance.  Part of Iruka’s mind worked on the problem ahead while part of him acknowledged that, with Inu sealing the passageway, they would have no way back out.  Suicidal mission, indeed.

Once the inner layer of stonework was removed, they were faced with a final barrier: a plastered lathe framework made up of supporting bamboo, covered with a mixture of straw and plaster for insulation.  “No wonder nobody noticed the outer wall was damaged,” Iruka whispered over his shoulder. “We must be directly behind the wall of a storage room or something similar, and not a corridor.”

“So they wouldn’t have noticed if any inclement weather caused a water leak, because it would have ended up in the room, rather than where someone would see it,” Inu replied from behind.

Iruka put a hand on the rough plaster in front of him.  “Once I cut through, we’re a go.”

Inu nodded.  “Then let’s do this.  We’ve been over this enough; it’s time for action.” 

Iruka placed the tip of the serrated knife into the lathe framework and began to saw through the plasterwork, the knife making quick work of the mixture and the bamboo supports.  He gave a hard shove and the whole thing fell outward.  Iruka moved quickly, dropping down through the hole and pulling a kunai in one smooth movement, Inu right behind him.   

Iruka had been correct; they were in a store room.  There were countless bundles of cloth stacked neatly on shelving, wrappings marked with a neat hand in kanji detailing what was inside.  He breathed a slow sigh of relief; this gave them time to finesse their plans before engaging in fighting.  It would be easier if they could do as little of that as possible, he reasoned.

“Where do you think this strong room is?”

Inu slipped his kunai back into its holster on his leg and glanced at Iruka.  “If it was me, I’d put it below the ground level of the keep, and toward the centre.  Less chance of someone randomly blowing up the room and all your cash by mistake if the castle is attacked.”

“That makes sense.  Still, I’m going to use my echo locate jutsu to see if I can learn anything from here.”

Inu nodded and watched as Iruka flashed through seals and crouched down, placing his hand on the floor.  The familiar sense of dislocation overtook him as everything seemed to reverse itself, colours switching, and he pulled his hand away, shaking his head.  “There’s nothing below us here, only bedrock.  Maybe you’re right; the place we’re looking for must be further in.”

“I’m always right,” Inu responded, cocking his head to the side, and Iruka knew he was grinning.

“You’re insufferable.”

“Yes, but I’m only insufferable because I’m right.”

Iruka moved to the door and listened.  No sounds from the corridor outside.  Slowly, he pulled open the door enough to see and glanced in both directions.  The hallway was badly lit; a couple of sconces sending skittering shadows across the walls, leaving large pools of darkness between.

Knowing Inu would follow, Iruka stepped outside and moved into the shadows, skirting around the pools of light.  It seemed very quiet and, for a moment, Iruka wondered if Tatsu had prepared a nasty surprise for them.  It was likely, but a risk they had to take if the mission was to be successful.  Iruka took a turn right, moving toward to the centre of the castle as best as he could figure.  Five minutes later, a figure turned the corner, and Inu moved quickly, a blur, as he sped past Iruka, kunai slipping between the ribs of the guard, holding him as he fell.  Iruka held his breath but the man hadn’t cried out.  Iruka opened a door and, finding another storeroom, they placed the body inside.  It was a crapshoot as to if someone would find the body and raise the alarm, but it seemed unlikely this far from the general living areas and servants’ quarters.

Since they were in the store room, Iruka waved Inu to shut the door.  He repeated his location jutsu, and was almost surprised when he found something.  Keeping his eyes closed, using his concentration to figure out what he was seeing, he whispered, “I’ve got a staircase; it goes down below this level.  Beyond that there’s a number of rooms.”  Inu kept silent, letting Iruka process what he was seeing, to commit the layout to memory.  After a few moments Iruka stood up and brushed off his palms, getting rid of the grit from the floor. 

Inu was waiting, one hand gripping a kunai, standing in a ready pose.  “What else?”  His voice was hard, all business now, no time for games.

“A single corridor, with a large room at the end and then another.  Behind _that_ room, three others, only accessible via the first.  I can’t see what’s inside; they’re built quite deep into the bedrock.”

Inu nodded.  “How do we find this staircase?”

Iruka let out a sigh.  “That’s the bad news.  The staircase is not accessible from down here.  I’m going to hazard a guess that the only way to get down there will be through the Daimyo’s strong room, which is a level up from this one, and that we’ll have to take it down directly from there.  We’re going to have to go through the ground floor of the castle and access it that way.”

“ _Shit_.”

“My sentiments exactly,” Iruka replied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The shadows worked in Iruka’s and Inu’s favour when they reached the main floor of the castle, and they slipped silently along a passageway, keeping close to the walls to avoid detection.  The floors on this level were all lined with teak, making it easy to blend in by simply becoming shadows among the subdued décor.  Iruka led, wending his way through the myriad corridors toward their eventual goal, Inu following and trusting to the mental map Iruka had in his head.  The first resistance they met was two Rock shinobi guarding a door at the end of the passageway, and Iruka held out a hand, palm up; the Leaf code for ‘ _stop’_. 

“Problem?” Inu whispered from behind Iruka’s left shoulder.

“Two guards, both shinobi, guarding the doors to where we need to be.”

Inu nodded and looked upward.  “I have an idea.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka used chakra and sprung from the ground to the ceiling, using his chakra to glue him to the surface.  He felt the blood rush to his head but remained crouched upside down.  He watched Inu do the same and, together, they both formed clones, which they left at ground level.  Iruka didn’t have too much chakra to spare for this kind of maneuver, and he wished, in a way, that they could have just gone headlong into the fight, but they were trying to remain undetected.  Both clones crept cautiously down the length of the corridor and Inu’s observations were proven correct when Iruka’s clone stepped on a floorboard.  It squeaked; loudly.  From his position on the ceiling, Iruka glanced at Inu and raised an eyebrow, knowing that, even if Inu couldn’t see his face, he’d read his body language. 

One of the guards by the door called out and drew a sword, the other doing the same.  Both of them took wary steps forward, and then paused a few feet from the doors.  Inu’s clone slipped into view and the floors squeaked again.  These were _Nightingale_ floors, designed to ‘sing’ as soon as someone stepped on them.  While appearing to be stealthy, the clones were actually doing their job; namely to distract the guards, who rushed forward, now eager to engage the enemy.  Both Iruka and Inu remained crouched on the ceiling in the shadows until the clones had drawn the enemy nin far enough forward that they could both drop from their hiding place, and were now _behind_ the Rock nin.  Iruka twisted in midair as he dropped, unsheathing his sword, and used the momentum of the fall to slice down, right through one nin’s shoulder, while Inu did the same.  Iruka landed in a crouch and shook the blood off of his sword, then dismissed the clone.  Inu’s clone hadn’t fared well in the initial fight and had been taken out. 

“That’s pretty embarrassing,” Iruka noted in a whisper.  “You losing your edge?”

Inu snorted and deigned not to answer, instead leaping to the wall and calmly walking along the surface so as to avoid setting the floor to singing again.  Iruka followed until they reached the door. 

“We’ve lost the element of surprise now,” Inu observed. 

“I doubt we ever really had it.”  Iruka dropped to the floor and put a hand on the door.  “Don’t die, okay?”

“You too.”  Inu nodded, and Iruka pushed open the door just enough for them to slip inside the room.  “That way.”  This was clearly one of the Daimyo’s receiving rooms, and the door opposite them was barred with heavy iron straps.  The strong room. 

They’d timed their infiltration so that it would occur after the Daimyo’s and Hattori’s nightly meeting, and so far it seemed as if things were going according to plan.  All they had to do was get _inside_ the strong room now but, at first glance, that was looking like it was going to be futile based on the amount of reinforcing on the door.

“It’s chakra warded as well,” Inu commented, crossing the room and laying a hand on the door, moving from point to point to show Iruka where.

“How the hell can you tell?”  Iruka reached out a hand, felt the invasive brush of iron-strong, metallic chakra, and fought not to recoil at the touch. 

“It might be easier to avoid the door altogether,” Inu continued.  “It’s probably trapped as well.”

“Then we’ll go through the wall.”  Iruka knelt down and pulled at the tatami mat just to the right of the door, exposing the floor joists underneath.  “I take it there’s probably bedrock under here.  If not, and the entire ground floor of the castle is built over the passageways beneath, we’re going to be fucked, and not in a good way.”

Inu knelt next to Iruka, although to the side, so he could keep an eye on the door they had just come through.  “What do you have in mind?”

“Your earth release.  Can you split the ground below this wall?”

Inu nodded.  “So much for stealth, then?”

Iruka laughed.  “Get on with it.  I’ll keep watch.”

Inu moved and placed both hands at the base of the wall, palms down.  “Doton: Dochūbaku!”  The ground under the wall heaved suddenly and a large crack split the wall, driving upward through the wooden panels and plasterwork.  The door shifted on its lintel and there was an explosion from the other side as the wards broke and the traps went off in a burst of blossoming fire.  Both Iruka and Inu leapt backward to avoid any flying debris, landing on the other side of the room.

“That was effective,” Iruka said, panting slightly from the heightened adrenaline coursing through his veins.  “Probably more than I counted on.”

The wall was indeed split, almost to the ceiling, and the entire end of the room was canted from the explosion around the door.  It wouldn’t be long before reinforcements arrived to see what the commotion was about.  Inu moved to the wall and pushed the damaged plaster aside, stepping through into the strong room, Iruka following.  He wasn’t expecting Inu to halt just inside, and almost walked into his back.

“ _Bastards_ ,” Inu hissed and, surprised, Iruka looked to the left wall to see what Inu was looking at.

There, arranged artfully in a row, were six Konoha ANBU masks, eyes blank and accusing.  Iruka sucked in a shocked breath, mind racing.  Six missing ANBU from the dungeons in Uzushio: six masks, displayed as trophies here in Rock.  Iruka felt anger course dangerously through him, for a moment obliterating his common sense.  Hattori Rikuto would pay for this desecration if it was the last thing he did, he promised.

“Let’s check these three rooms for the scrolls,” Inu said roughly, pulling Iruka’s attention back to the job at hand.  Iruka nodded and moved to the three at the far end of the one they’d infiltrated. They were filled with meaningless treasures, obviously of some value to the Daimyo but not to Iruka and Inu, and there was no sign of the scrolls.

“Dammit,” Iruka hissed, dropping to the floor, placing a palm down on the mats and activating his Echo Location Jutsu.  In the background he heard the clash of weapons, but he trusted Inu to have his back while he searched deep below ground.  There was another staircase that lead down from this room.  Iruka released the jutsu and pulled a kunai, leaping into the fight.  Inu had taken down three nin already, leaving two.  Anger pushed Iruka and he fought with no regard for safety, taking down one of the enemy while Inu dealt with the last.  He moved to the centre mat in the room and pulled it out of the way, exposing the hidden staircase.  Inu watched, not commenting as Iruka moved, and followed as Iruka took the stairs down to the next level.

At the bottom was a corridor, brightly lit by wall sconces.  There would be no opportunity to use stealth, so Iruka gripped his kunai tightly in a defensive position and, together, they began to walk, following the corridor around a corner, pushing open each door as they moved.  The place was a veritable maze of rooms off the corridor, which split finally once they reached a large room with pillars supporting the ceiling.  “Which way?”

Inu shrugged.  “Your guess is as good as mine, but we have company.”

There was a flicker out of the corner as Iruka recognized the effects of a shunshin, and then there were four Rock ANBU standing in front of them, arranged in a classic offensive pattern.  Iruka tensed as he heard movement from the room beyond, light, hollow sounding footsteps as the noise echoed in the cavernous space.  A woman’s steps.  It was almost an anti-climax when the shadowy figure formed into one they both knew fairly well; Tatsu.

“It took me a number of hours before I remembered where I’d felt your chakra before, Kurohyou,” she said.  The ANBU moved to the side to let her through and she stopped a few feet from both Inu and Iruka.  “Once I recognized you, even though your face was different, it wasn’t a hard stretch to figure out you’d probably be coming straight here, and no doubt with Inu in tow.  Still, I wanted you both to feel like you’d made a somewhat successful effort before I had you both killed.”

Iruka tightened his grip on the kunai, watching the ANBU.  He wasn’t enough of a fool to get totally distracted by Tatsu, and he knew she was probably just buying time.  Still, he had to ask; “Why did you betray Konoha?  What could Rock have possibly offered you that we couldn’t?”

Tatsu laughed. “I never betrayed Konoha, Kurohyou.  It was never my home.”

“What?”  Iruka felt Inu tense next to him and shift to a fighting stance. 

“I may have spent my informative years in Konoha, but I was born in Rock.  I was sent to Konoha as a child, to infiltrate, to wait until the time was right, to _sleep_ until I was needed.  That time has come.”

Inu rushed forward in a blur, kunai flashing as he engaged the first ANBU.  Iruka cursed and formed seals for a water jutsu, flooding the area with a rush of waves.  It didn’t take the ANBU down, but it distracted them for a moment, and he flipped up into the air, drawing his sword and bringing it down in an arc.  The Rock ANBU moved, but Iruka had what he wanted; he was behind the line, close to Tatsu.  She cursed and jumped backward, deflecting the blow he directed at her.

“I’ll kill you for what you’ve done,” Iruka growled, pushing forward with his blade.  It screeched as it slid down Tatsu’s sword, sparks jumping.  She pushed back and threw a punch, which he chose to take rather than lose the ground he had by retreating.  Movement behind Iruka made him turn at last, and he felt the hot wash of a fire jutsu brush his skin; Inu.  Inu was surrounded by three ANBU, and Iruka quickly weighed the odds, cursing.  He disengaged and rushed toward Inu, who was fighting with his sword, the quarters now too close for jutsu.  Using his momentum, Iruka dropped to the floor, sliding along the water-slicked stones, and brought his sword up, effectively hamstringing the first ANBU he reached.  With a cry of pain, the man dropped to the ground, and Iruka put out a hand, slowing his momentum and flipping to his feet, bringing the sword down into the man’s chest.  Iruka didn’t pause; Inu had taken down another of the ANBU, leaving two.  He glanced to the door; as expected, Tatsu had vanished, no doubt deeper into the warren of rooms and passageways.  He’d worry about her later.  Meanwhile he let fly with a handful of shuriken; never enough to kill, but always enough to distract.  One of the ANBU took a couple to the leg and staggered, the other leapt to the ceiling to avoid the rest.  Inu used a fire jutsu, aimed at the ceiling, while Iruka rushed forward, aiming a chakra-laden punch at the other nin.  He stepped backward, into a scatter of caltrops Iruka had hidden in the shadows of his shuriken when he’d thrown them.  The nin grunted as the caltrops sliced through the soles of his shoes and into his feet, and Iruka used the distraction to slide his blade deep into the ANBU’s side, twisting as he pulled his katana free. The ANBU slid silently from the blade, clearly dead before he hit the ground.  

Iruka paused, panting softly, realizing Inu had finished with the last nin, who was now a smoking corpse, the fire jutsu having done its work effectively.  It smelled terrible, and Iruka wrinkled his nose under the mask, glad for the extra cloth mask underneath to block the worst of it.  He sheathed his sword and stepped toward Inu, who was clutching his thigh.

“Inu?”

Inu shook his head.  “I’m fine, just a cut; nothing to worry about.  I’ll use a coagulant on it.  We need to locate Tatsu.”

“Agreed.  I have no doubt that, wherever she is, we’ll find the scrolls.”  Iruka waited while Inu attended to his leg, and once he was satisfied it had stopped bleeding, they made their way through the door and down the corridor.  After a few hundred feet, this too opened up into another large room, but this time there was no other exits, other than the way they had come.  Iruka suddenly felt like a cornered rat, and pushed down the feeling of foreboding that was growing.

From the shadows six new ANBU appeared, these wearing sand colored masks, decorated with designs picked out in red, like bloody slashes; Haiena, Koyote, Kitsune, Iguru, Hagewashi and Karasu. 

“I recognize these bastards from Tatsu’s list on the copy jutsu scroll,” Iruka muttered.  Inu simply nodded, his attention fixed on the new threat, his body a line of tense concentration.  “These must be the six elite ANBU that Ryoichi mentioned; the ones that guard the Daimyo.”

“If so, we’ve got a shit fight ahead of us,” Inu replied.

Iruka was about to respond when another figure appeared; this one with shoulder length, spikey brown hair, dark glasses over his eyes, and a large pouch at his hip.  Iruka took a deep breath; he didn’t need to be introduced to recognize that this was the Aburame they were looking for, and the key to deactivating the sleepers back in Konoha. 

“Well,” Inu drawled, “I suppose that, on the plus side, at least we have the whole set of traitors in one place.  Shall we finish this?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was clear from the start this particular set of ANBU were way above the skillset of the others they’d run into farther back.  This group used coordinated attacks, combining jutsu with skill and speed. Iruka didn’t recognize half the jutsu; he’d bet money that some of them were the forbidden techniques from the stolen scrolls which meant they were in deep shit.  Iruka and Inu were forced to fight back to back, to protect each other while trying to use offensive moves, which was never ideal.  Iruka was covered in a myriad small cuts and grazes, near-misses that hadn’t quite connected.  It was only luck so far that the Aburame had not joined the fight, content, apparently, to wait things out and see what happened.

“We have to do something soon,” Iruka said, blocking another blow with a kunai, pushing Koyote back with force rather than skill.

“I know,” Inu bit out.  “However, we have a problem.”  He formed seals for an earth release and dropped down.  The ground buckled as a fissure opened, the stones heaving, causing both Karasu and Iguru to leap out of the way or risk being pulled down into it.  “Have you noticed how they all use the Konoha Leaf Style sword technique?”

Iruka grunted as Kitsune rushed forward and he raised his kunai, blocking.  Unnamed dread bubbled in Iruka’s stomach and his grip wavered on the kunai, Iruka sensing that Inu was about to give voice to something he’d didn’t want to admit.  He kicked out, knocking Kitsune’s feet out from under him, delivering a blow with the kunai to his chest.  One down.

“They’re Konoha ANBU, aren’t they?”

Inu nodded, blocking another strike with his armguard.  “The masks on the wall, remember.  These are _our_ ANBU, brainwashed and reconditioned.  We’re fighting our comrades.”

Iruka cursed bitterly, but Inu continued, “Don’t give into sentiment, Kurohyou.  They’re trying to kill you, and will, given half the chance.”

“But – “

“They are _not_ your comrades any more, remember that!  They are simply the enemy.”

Hagewashi suddenly appeared next to Iruka, flickering into his space, and Iruka leapt out of the way, hesitating to strike a blow.  These were Konoha shinobi. They might have been his friends; he had no way to tell with the mask in place.  Inu appeared behind Hagewashi, sliding a kunai across his throat; the Silent Killing Jutsu performed flawlessly.  Hagewashi slid to the ground, but Inu grunted and froze for a moment.  Iruka watched, horrified, as the sword bit into Inu’s side, wielded by Haiena, who immediately leapt backward, out of range.

“Inu!”

Inu dropped to one knee, free hand pressed to his side, mask fixed on Iruka’s face.  “Snap out of it, Kurohyou! They are –“ Inu pushed to his feet with effort, “– dead to Konoha.  You saw what Rock did to them, in that room.  Restrained them, twisted their minds, wiped them clean of their allegiance and probably their inhibitions at the same time.  Do you want to see Konoha destroyed? If not, we _need_ to take them down.”

Iruka drew a ragged breath and nodded.  Inu was right.  Now was no time for emotions; for _Iruka_ to surface.  He need to be _Kurohyou_ , and to do his duty and complete the mission.  However, they still had four ANBU to deal with, and the Aburame, who chose that moment to step forward as he started to weave hand signs.  Small bugs poured from his sleeves, pooling on the floor before starting to flow outward in identical swarms, gathering for an attack.

Inu stepped closer to Iruka, and Iruka knew what he was thinking; their minds working as a team.  Inu began forming seals for a fire jutsu, and Iruka for water.  They finished at the same time and Inu directed a wide sweep of fire across the room, encompassing the entire width of it.  Iruka pushed water into the fire and it exploded in a superheated steam that engulfed the end of the room.  Iruka leapt backward, followed by Inu as they waited for the steam to clear.  After a few moments it did, some of it hanging in a mist close to the ceiling, masking the wall sconces and dimming the light.

As the steam cleared, Iruka could see that the Aburame had used his bugs to protect the ANBU, which left them back at square one with nothing to show for it.  _Shit_ , Iruka thought.  He was starting to tire, the never-ending barrage of jutsu and taijutsu all starting to pull at his energy reserves.  Inu was bleeding still, and didn’t look much better.  They had to end this sooner rather than later.

The steam finally cleared and Karasu stepped forward, weaving signs.  Iruka knew he should recognize these; they looked familiar.  Suddenly a black shadow thrust outward from where Karasu knelt, hands fixed together, and the shadow drove directly for Iruka.  He leapt out of the way, calling “Nara!” as a warning to Inu.  Inu swore; jumping to the side, and Iruka watched as the shadows turned, seeking out Inu instead. 

Haiena came at Iruka with a flurry of taijutsu, probably sensing that Iruka was flagging.  Iruka blocked one hit after the other, sweeping low to try to take the man’s legs out from under him, then twisting upward, delivering a solid kick to his stomach and sending him flying across the room.  Iruka glanced toward Inu, who was twisting and weaving to avoid the reaching fingers of the Nara’s signature jutsu; the Kagemane no Jutsu.

_This is bad_ , Iruka thought.  _If the Nara gets a hold on one of us, we’re effectively a man down._   The same went for the Aburame; the gods only knew at this point what kind of wide area-effect jutsu the man used.  And there were three other ANBU still standing.  Every movement caused Iruka to wince; he was covered in cuts and bruises, as was Inu.  Inu was blowing through chakra rapidly, using one jutsu after another. Iruka was running low as well after that combined steam jutsu they’d used. 

He blocked another blow from Koyote with his arm guard, grunting at the impact.  They needed to do something to get clear of this, or the mission would fail. 

“Captured!”  The Nara’s cry was triumphant; even Iruka could recognize that.  He glanced over, ducking another punch, to see Inu sinking to the ground, the Nara’s bindings wrapping around his torso, moving up over his arms; a hand forming, its fingers wrapping around Inu’s neck, squeezing none to gently.

“Inu!” Iruka shouted, and fired off his water bullet jutsu, using a wide spread in the vain hope that he’d break the Nara’s concentration.  No such luck; the bindings loosened slightly, but not enough for Inu to break free.  Iruka leapt backward, forced to the corner, out of reach of Inu, as the remaining four ANBU and the Aburame were now between them.  He dropped to one knee, panting, watching as the Nara stood up, Inu copying the movement, bound by the jutsu.

“You’re mine, Kurohyou.”  The deep voice behind the Koyote mask sounded pleased, like he was looking forward to what was ahead.  “I’m going to enjoy playing with you before I kill you.”

The Nara started to walk toward the corridor they’d entered through, and Inu had no choice but to follow, the binding jutsu pulling him along.  Inu was fighting it – hard – all his muscles standing out with the effort to break the jutsu.  Iguru kept pace with the Nara, sword drawn as a deterrent, while Koyote and Haiena moved toward Iruka, along with the Aburame.

“Inu,” Iruka growled, glancing toward Inu.  He raised his sword, ready for an attack from the remaining three. 

“Complete the mission,” Inu managed to grind out before the Nara tightened his grip.  “Find the scrolls.  I can take care of this.”

Iruka laughed bitterly.  He _knew_ what his duty was: to Konoha.  But what he wanted to do was protect Inu.  He had no doubt that the enemy were separating them on purpose, but the knowledge still twisted like a knife in his stomach.

“Don’t die,” Iruka said eventually, finding solace in the ritual words.  He felt like the words were being torn from his throat; a farewell of sorts.  Determination bubbled up inside him and he watched his three remaining opponents through narrowed eyes.  He wasn’t going to go down without a fight, and neither was Inu.  That was all the consolation he had right now.

With a shout, he pulled his katana and rushed forward.

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

Iruka took a panting breath and ignored the body now lying in front of him, as if his opponent, Haiena, had been of no consequence.  “Which one of you wants to go next?” he asked, looking from the Aburame to Koyote.  Koyote’s body language gave nothing away, his mask unreadable.  The Aburame was hanging back, clearly only useful for long distance jutsu, so Haiena and Koyote had been playing a short game, harrying Iruka in turns, until Iruka had finally gotten the upper hand and Haiena had made a mistake.  He’d paid dearly for that, and now lay in an ever-widening pool of blood, face down, still nameless.  Iruka preferred it that way; he had no desire to remove the mask and find out if this was someone he’d known, talked with, maybe even had a drink at K’s with.  No, definitely better this way.

Koyote moved forward, hands flashing through seals, and Iruka ducked away, sliding across the floor to avoid the barrage of fire bombs Koyote had released.  As Iruka slid, he also formed seals, trying to get a hit on the Aburame, but he was keeping to cover, releasing bugs occasionally that alternately either ate at Iruka’s chakra, draining him, or exploded like miniature shrapnel.  Iruka was getting sick of it, and most importantly, he needed to get this done so he could find Inu.

Iruka moved to engage Koyote again, reverting to taijutsu to save chakra.  They exchanged a flurry of blows, but it was like sparring with a partner you knew well, as both were schooled in the Konoha variation.  Iruka grabbed Koyote’s leg and twisted, jumping into the air and putting the man on his back, drawing his blade again and bringing it down.  A gloved hand grabbed his wrist at the last moment and threw Iruka with force.  He landed on his shoulder and slid along the flagstones, grunting as the grit from the floor dragged across his skin, biting deeply.  That had been the Aburame, Iruka observed: working in tandem, stepping in when he shouldn’t.  But it gave Iruka an idea.

He staggered to his feet and clutched at his shoulder, letting the enemy think he’d been injured and was running out of steam.  Koyote didn’t waste time and rushed forward; Iruka let the ANBU harry him backward, blocking only half the attacks.  It hurt like a son of a bitch taking those hits, not only physically but also to his pride, but he continued to give ground until he was between the Aburame and Koyote. 

“Had enough, Kurohyou?” Koyote sneered.  “I expected more of someone with your reputation.”

“You remember that much, at least,” Iruka replied.  He turned, enough to keep both enemies in sight, and then dropped to the floor, placing a palm on the ground.  “ _Isshi Tōjin_!”  Spider-like writing sped out from under his hand, spreading in a web across the floor.  The Aburame leapt upward in a flip and rebounded off of the wall, staying safely out of range.  Koyote was not so lucky; he got caught by the barrier seal and was unable to leave its confines.  Iruka cursed and went straight on the attack, keeping an eye on Koyote because, while he couldn’t leave the seal, he could still perform jutsu.  Iruka raced after the Aburame, exchanging blows, causing the insects hosted by the Aburame to grow agitated and angry.  Iruka ignored the drain on his chakra as the bugs attacked and he continued to harry the man with taijutsu.  He scored a hit as the Aburame’s leg buckled and Iruka heard a snap.  He followed up with a foot to the break and the man went down with a cry, incapacitated.

Though both enemies were now contained, Iruka wasn’t going to make the mistake of resting on his laurels.  Koyote was attempting to break free, but Iruka wasn’t worried about that; he’d never yet met a person able to break _this_ seal.  He focused instead on the Aburame, trying to gauge the rate at which his chakra was being drained by those damn insects, and Iruka decided he needed to end this now.  The Aburame was forming seals, and Iruka sped through his own, jumping back and releasing a barrage of fire balls at the same time the Aburame sent out his bugs.  Iruka wasn’t aiming for the Aburame, but instead, the bag he had on his hip.  From what Iruka knew of the clan, most of them carried a sack or gourd or something to contain their bugs.  Too late, the Aburame realized what Iruka was doing; he attempted to twist on the ground to protect his bugs.  Iruka’s aim was almost point blank and the fire balls hit one after the other, the bag exploding messily.  The cloud of bugs the Aburame had already released turned, splitting into two groups, sensing trouble with the local hive.  Those that returned to the Aburame were incinerated instantly, and Iruka was left to contend with the other set, who appeared to be more of the miniature exploding type. 

Iruka swore and dove toward Koyote, who took a step back, drawing his katana.  Iruka crossed through the barrier – an easy thing for its creator – and ducked and rolled, sliding past Koyote.  Caught off guard, Koyote took the brunt of the hive’s last stand, just as Iruka had intended.  When Iruka came out of the roll, Koyote was screaming.  The bugs had taken things personally, burrowing into the tight clothing against his skin and then exploding.  Some must have gotten in his mouth, because Iruka was treated to a sight he never wanted to see again when the bugs detonated en masse. 

Iruka paused, eying up the Aburame, who was trying to crawl away.  _Time to end this_ , he thought.  He released the barrier, ignoring the remains of Koyote, and drew his katana, crossing to the Aburame.  The Aburame glared at him, panting heavily.  He was burned badly, unable to do much more now than curse at Iruka as he stood above him.  Iruka raised his sword but reversed the blow at the last moment, affording the Aburame a clean death and taking his head off, as he would a missing-nin of Konoha.  The man deserved that much acknowledgement at the very least, Iruka thought.  Although not technically missing-nin, his history, although forced on him, was Konoha.  He should die that way.

Iruka dropped to his knees, able to relax momentarily now that this battle was done.  He was low on chakra, and only now that the adrenaline of the fight was wearing off could he feel each scrape, each wound.  He channeled chakra to his hand and healed the deep cut in his thigh; just enough to get by and no more.  Then he wearily climbed to his feet, sheathed his blade, and began the search for the scrolls.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fortunately, the scrolls were not hard to find, nor far away.  Iruka spent precious minutes searching all the rooms off of the one he’d been fighting in.  He opened doors, discovering sleeping quarters, realizing they must be where Hattori was keeping his brainwashed Konoha ANBU when they were not on guard duty to the Daimyo.  Only one door was locked, and Iruka assumed it must be where Hattori was keeping the copies of the forbidden scrolls.  Hattori obviously considered this area of the catacombs secure enough to store them there, what with the ANBU close by.  Iruka wasn’t stupid; it was highly likely the locked door was trapped and warded, probably like the entrance to the strong room up on the first floor level had been.

 _Shit_ , Iruka thought.  _What did you expect;_ _that you could just waltz in, destroy the scrolls and rescue Inu?_ He bit his lip, thinking of Inu, while trying _not_ to think of Inu.  Torture was an integral part of the ANBU way of life and Iruka’s gut twisted thinking about what Inu might be going through.  He didn’t believe Tatsu and her ANBU would kill Inu straight away; she would probably spend time trying to get information from him, or worse, be content to play for a while.  Inu was a tough bastard, Iruka knew that, but it still ate at him that he was standing there when he should be helping his teammate.

 _The mission_ , a voice in his head reminded him.  It sounded rather like Ibiki.  _Inu is trusting you to complete the mission so go get it the fuck done and go get your partner_.

Iruka nodded, as if agreeing with the voice, and placed on hand on the locked door.  He wished he had Inu’s apparently mysterious, god-like ability to sense and see wards and traps, but he didn’t, so he was going to have to do this the hard way.  He walked across the floor and turned back to face the door, pulling a kunai.  He hefted it in his hand, and then threw it overarm with a bit of a spin, keeping it dead on target.  It hit a spot just above the door handle with a loud _thunk_ , exactly where he intended.  There was a muffled bang from behind the door and then the door was suddenly outlined in buzzing lightning.  It swirled over the door in angry patterns, along the kunai, and then was ejected in an arc into the air.  Iruka tasted ozone, and was really glad he hadn’t tried the handle a moment ago.  After a few moments, the lightning gave a final sputter and died out, leaving the wood smoking and Iruka’s kunai a barely recognizable metal stub.

Something told Iruka that wasn’t the end of it.  Hidden Rock had gone to incredible lengths to get their hands on these scrolls; had worked for a decade single-mindedly toward their goal, had captured Konoha nin and had even bred that poor bastard lying dead on the floor, simply so that they could invade Fire Country.  Iruka knew instinctively that a single burst of pretty lightning was not going to be the only trap on that door.

Iruka weighed his options: chakra vs no chakra approach.  He was loath to use his tattoo and break the seal.  The chakra would be useful, but he’d spent a great deal of time teaching the basics to his students, educating them in not only how to use chakra, but how to survive without it.  After a moment he nodded, mainly to himself, and formed seals for a water clone.  This wouldn’t be a kage bunshin; he didn’t need a proper clone.  This was the type of clone that Naruto had always had such problems with; a simple copy of the original person, something that was expendable and that used only a tiny amount of what little chakra remained to him.  Iruka didn’t need it to think; just to act.

He dropped to his knee, exhaustion eating away at him, and sent the clone forward.  The moment the clone twisted the handle, the floor seemed to drop away in front of the door and the clone disappeared below the surface.  After a moment, there was a puff of smoke as the clone dissipated.  Iruka created another and sent that forward. This time, the clone was able to twist the door handle, but it was locked.  He huffed; he couldn’t afford to keep wasting time.  He vanished the clone, climbed to his feet and approached the door.  He stared down into the pit trap that had opened up beneath the first clone and grimaced; only just able to see the floor littered with long, deadly metal spikes.  No wonder the clone had dissipated; if that had been him, he’d have easily been dead, impaled in multiple places.

He pulled out a small lock pick kit and set about jimmying the door, balancing carefully on the edge of the pit.  It was frustrating and Iruka could feel his irritation mounting at the time-wasting.  Added to that was the worry that he’d maybe not sprung all the traps around this door, and that the simple act of picking the lock would trigger something else.  There was an incredible amount to be played for here, and that knowledge set him on edge.  Iruka felt the barrels inside the lock shift and give slightly and he took a deep breath.  He knew how to do this; all shinobi did. It was part and parcel of basic training.  The knowledge that he was losing his cool ate at him, eroding his ability to think clearly.  He fumbled the lock and one of the picks dropped to the floor, falling into the pit he was balanced so precariously on the edge of.

“Fuck!” he muttered, pulling out another lock pick and starting over.  He could feel sweat beading at his temple, and an itching between his shoulder blades.  This was dangerous; all his concentration was centred on this fucking lock, and in the meantime, anyone could be coming up behind him, ready to put a knife in his back.  He felt the last barrel drop inside the lock and stood up, gripping the handle.  Now or never.  He twisted the handle.

The world exploded into bright white light, blossoming with golden edges tinged with red.  Iruka felt the superheated air bubble outward and he put his arms over his face, letting the explosion carry him safely over the pit.  He forced his hands into seals, creating a weak but somewhat effective wall of water to shield himself from most of the blast.  He landed hard on the stone floor with a grunt and skidded a number of feet backward, finally coming to a stop near the far wall.  He lay there stunned for a moment, waiting for the sound of running feet coming to see what had triggered the traps.   Nothing.  He panted softly and pulled off his mask, rubbing his arm across his eyes, removing the sweat and grime from his face.  He waited; waited for that telltale pain to start, for his body to remember he was injured badly.  Nothing, which meant one of two things; he was either injured so badly that there was no pain, which was a death sentence, or two, somehow he’d miraculously managed to survive.  A few moments more convinced him that maybe it was the latter.  He shifted, forcing back a small moan, and climbed to his feet, staggering slightly.  His ears were ringing from the explosion, but he was alive, and somehow nobody had bothered to come and find out what the noise was about.  

“You are a fucking incredibly lucky bastard, Umino,” he muttered to himself, and he replaced his mask. 

The door to the scroll room was surprisingly intact; only the frame had warped a little.  This told him that the fireball had been another trap keyed to the lock and that now he was probably in the clear.  The door swung open with a soft creak when he pushed it with one finger.  After all that fucking around, Iruka had finally hit the money shot.  The scrolls packed the room, floor to ceiling, some stacked carefully on shelves, other larger ones rested in scroll holders on tables.  One in particular was open on a large desk, weighted down at the corners.  After the whole door thing, Iruka was absolutely not going to touch it, in case he set off another trap or jutsu.  He glanced at it, noting it was the jutsu used to control the bugs in Konoha’s sleepers.  Iruka grinned maniacally.  This was the culmination of all the weeks they’d spent rushing around, first in Uzushio, and now in Rock.  This was where Iruka would make his stand, would show these bastards that Leaf shinobi were not to be fucked with on any level.  He’d burn this place to the ground and remind Hidden Rock just who they were screwing with.

Iruka began to pull the scrolls out of the shelving, working as quickly as possible.  There was still the possibility that one or any of Hattori’s ANBU would return shortly.  He glanced at each scroll as he pulled them out, raising an eyebrow at some of the jutsu; no wonder these were forbidden.  He didn’t want to think what would happen if Hattori had trained some of his nin to use these.  He piled them on and around the table with the open scroll, stacking them evenly, creating something similar to a nest of paper.  And paper burned wonderfully.

Iruka thought about setting them alight with a detonation seal but then thought better of it; he couldn’t spare the chakra.  He could, however, leave a small surprise for anyone foolish enough to try to put the fire out.  He reminded himself that this was absolutely not payback for the bastard traps around the door he’d had to defuse. 

He knelt down and dug through his pack, finding some exploding tags.  He formed these into a dense package, which he infused with a tiny spark of chakra, and then he encased it in a small barrier jutsu.  What he held in his hand now looked like a small, glowing, child’s toy ball with spidery writing all over it.  He placed it in the centre of the pile of scrolls, directly on top of the open scroll with the sleeper jutsu, and then covered it over with more scrolls.  Then he pulled one of the sconces off of the wall and held the open flame close to the parchment, watching with satisfaction as the outer edge of the pile caught fire and started burning.  He grinned and backed away, shutting the door behind him.  The door wouldn’t close properly since the frame was bent, but it was good enough. 

As a final measure, he set a couple of nasty fire traps, similar to the one he’d gotten caught in.  If anyone tried to enter the room, the traps would blow, only adding to the conflagration inside.  On the other hand, if the fire was allowed to burn, eventually it would reach his exploding tag bomb in the middle and it would go off with a massive explosion.  It was a win-win situation.  The Aburame was dead, and Konoha’s sleepers were now deactivated. 

Iruka could already feel the heat from the fire inside the room; an uncomfortable warmth against his skin.  He would have liked to stay and watch Rock’s plans go up in flames, but he had a comrade to rescue.  Some instinct told Iruka that Inu was not dead.  Iruka couldn’t say why, but he knew deep down that Inu would find a way to keep fighting, to survive.  Now all he had to do was find him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka moved silently down the deserted corridors, sword drawn.  Half of him was listening for the explosion from the scroll room, which he intended to use to his advantage.  The other half was listening for the remaining ANBU and Tatsu.  Iruka was concerned that he hadn’t come across her, although part of him knew already where she would be; with Inu.  While Inu wanted revenge, she seemed to want to destroy Inu.  Psychologically, Iruka could understand that she would want to obliterate all ties to her former team and, as team captain, Inu would be the perfect way to do that, especially since Neko was clearly not on this mission.  Tatsu would take what she could get and, frankly, Iruka had seen her torture one of her own already.  He didn’t want to think what she could be doing at the present time.

The sound of distant voices drew Iruka down a corridor and he turned right, following the muffled sounds.  A door was partly open, and he could hear a woman’s voice.  Iruka flattened himself against the outer wall and sheathed his sword, pulling out a small mirror, which he held out, angling it so that he could see into the room without making himself visible to those inside. 

The Nara still had Inu bound and Inu was kneeling on the floor, arms pulled up so tight behind him that his back was arched in an effort to alleviate some of the strain.  Iruka gritted his teeth; the Nara had switched from the simple bindings of the _Kagemane no Jutsu_ and was now using the Shadow Stitching Technique. Even from where he stood, Iruka could see that the shadows pierced Inu’s arms and legs, blood dripping slowly onto the floor.  Iruka took a deep breath and pushed the killing intent down; it threatened to overwhelm him, red clouding the edges of his vision.  He forced himself to note what else was going on, to disconnect emotion from the scene. 

Iruka realized he couldn’t do what he needed. Not as he was.  He was still partly Iruka; still holding on to some vestige of the sensei he was, despite the mission.  He’d always operated like this; eighty percent Kurohyou, twenty Iruka, even during the worst missions.  As he was, he simply couldn’t stand there and watch his lover be tortured, and not lose himself.  Iruka made a decision then: rather than let it happen messily, he would _choose_ to do so, to become a honed weapon of destruction for just long enough to get the task done.

He took what remained of Iruka and forced the sensei down, locking him away.  He let Kurohyou surface fully for the first time, _became_ Kurohyou, because to not do this would be the equivalent of losing his sanity.

Kurohyou took another, final deep breath and looked into the mirror again.  Inu had not moved; he most likely couldn’t with the shadows restricting his movements.  Tatsu was still talking. About what, Kurohyou didn’t really care; it was unimportant at this juncture.  The Nara knelt to one side, clearly straining with the effort of using one clan jutsu after the other.  His hands were shaking, Kurohyou noted, and he had maybe five or ten minutes of useful time left before he’d have to rest before he recast.  The other ANBU, Iguru, leaned against the far wall and seemed distracted by what Tatsu was saying.  The major problem in the room appeared to be the man dressed as a courtier, hair scraped back in a topknot, spotless hakama and haori, without a single fold out of place.  He wore two swords in his obi; one long, one shorter.  That wasn’t what bothered Kurohyou; it was that familiar metallic, overwhelming chakra he could feel emanating from the man. It was the same chakra that had been present in the wards on the strong room, so this must be the Daimyo’s assistant, Hattori Rikuto.

Kurohyou thought for a moment.  He needed a way to cause panic, mainly so that he could get the weakening Nara to drop the Shadow Stitching jutsu.  After that, Inu should be able to break free and it would be two against four, rather than one.  The other pressing question was whether he should break the seal on his fuinjutsu tattoo, or save it.  This was going to be a dirty fight. 

He checked in the mirror again, assessing everyone’s position prior to engaging.  Tatsu had pulled a tanto blade out, one similar to the one she had relinquished to Inu.  Hattori was behind Inu, hand fisted in his hair, pulling hard enough that Inu’s back was bowed almost to breaking point, exposing his throat.  Tatsu laughed and the blade flashed.  Kurohyou tensed; it was the wrong angle for a killing blow, and from what he knew of her, it wouldn’t be her style to end things this quickly.  He watched as the point sunk deep into Inu’s shoulder and she twisted the blade.  Inu grunted; clearly not what she was hoping for.

Kurohyou pocketed the mirror, having seen enough.  He dropped into a crouch and closed his eyes, palm to the floor.  He searched, finally finding ground water under the flagstone floor, close to the bedrock.  He couldn’t afford to be flashy, because that would alert Hattori that someone was close by.  Gently, he forced the water upward slowly, letting it push through the stones unnoticed by the group.  He hoped he could finesse this for at least a few more seconds, just enough to –

Kurohyou formed seals rapidly, not thinking about what he was trying to do: namely, use a jutsu he didn’t have a lot of control over.  It hadn’t gone very well the last time he’d tried this, but it was the only viable option he had in his arsenal that could effectively restrain the Nara long enough to get Inu free.

“ _Suiton: Hojoujutsu_!”  Kurohyou got to his feet, drew a kunai, and rushed through the door, letting his killing intent flare wild and free.  As he ran he fought with the jutsu for control, watching as the water ropes snared the Nara, knocking the exhausted man to the floor in a writhing mass of water.  He squeezed the bindings painfully tight, unable to finesse it, and watched with satisfaction as the Nara released Inu.  The shadow stitching came free from Inu’s flesh in bloody ropes, spattering across Tatsu and Hattori’s clothing.

Inu slumped forward with a shuddering gasp and pulled the tanto blade free from his shoulder, twisting it in his hand so that he had a better grip before climbing to his feet.  Inu appeared dazed for a moment before his whole body language shifted and became instantly predatory.  Hattori took a step backward, as did Tatsu, both sensing the shift of power in the room.  “Kurohyou?”

Kurohyou grinned behind his mask and manipulated the water jutsu, flinging the spent Nara across the room.  He landed against the wall with a sickening crunch, sliding lifeless to the floor.  Iguru chose that moment to join the fight, and Kurohyou moved to intercept him, just as Inu rushed for Hattori.  Kurohyou slid under Iguru’s guard and jabbed upward with the kunai, feeling it embed in the man’s rib.  The man swore behind the mask and then pushed away, putting distance between himself and Kurohyou.

Kurohyou released the rope jutsu and felt the instant drain on his chakra.  He swiped his hand along the blade of his kunai, remembering a conversation from a distant place and time: _the seal works with blood, unfortunately._   He drew his hand across the fuinjutsu tattoo, formed a hand sign and said, “Kai!”  Stored chakra rushed through his body and down his pathways, a heady, addictive rush.  He threw the kunai at Iguru, who moved to block the knife, and Kurohyou flipped through seals rapidly, directing a barrage of fire balls toward Hattori and Tatsu, who were attempting to take down Inu.  They scattered instinctively, and Kurohyou focused back on Iguru, rushing forward and drawing his katana, exchanging blows.  Iguru was tiring against the constant whirling of Kurohyou’s blade; Kurohyou’s chakra was almost back up to full par, and it showed in the way his body moved, the fatigue almost gone now. 

Iguru was backed into a corner, and Kurohyou wasted no time, jabbing forward, reversing the blade in his hand, striking again, following through with taijutsu.  The end was quick; Iguru making a single mistake, unable to react fast enough against Kurohyou’s overly aggressive approach.  The blade slid into his stomach and Iguru folded forward, hands grasping at the katana as Kurohyou twisted it in a parody of what Tatsu had done to Inu.  He pulled it free with a jerk, already turning away as Iguru fell to race toward Inu.

Inu was slowly being backed into a corner by Hattori and Tatsu.  Tatsu had discarded her mask; it lay broken on the floor.  Hattori was forming seals for something; Kurohyou couldn’t tell what. 

Just then, there was a massive heave and the flagstones rose beneath Kurohyou’s feet.  Then there was sound, and light, as the paper tag bomb finally detonated in the scroll room.  The explosion tore through the catacombs of the castle, pushing out the wall to the room they were in.  Kurohyou yelled, “Down!” to Inu, and dropped to his knees, sliding across the floor as the wall buckled and collapsed.  Super-heated dust and debris engulfed the room, blinding Kurohyou for a moment, but giving him just enough cover to slide through Tatsu and Hattori’s guard and make it to Inu.

“I wondered when you were going to get here,” Inu panted softly.  “I see my diversion gave you time to blow the scroll room successfully.”

Kurohyou grinned behind the mask, knowing Inu would read his body language, especially now that the smoke and dust was clearing.  “We make a good team,” Kurohyou replied.  “Can you continue?”

Inu nodded and tightened his grip on the tanto blade.  “I’ve still got more than enough chakra.”

“Good.  We’re going to need it very shortly.”  Kurohyou climbed to his feet and sized up their opponents; Tatsu was bleeding from a gash on her forehead and was babying her left arm, which had probably been broken or fractured by debris from the blast.  Hattori just looked determined and was probably more than a little pissed, Kurohyou decided.  The entire back wall of the room had caved in, but it was a testament to the castle builders that the basement was still standing and not buried beneath the crush of the castle above.  Beyond the wall, Kurohyou couldn’t see past the mounds of fractured stone.  His little paper bomb had done more than he’d hoped for.

Hattori took a step forward and began to form seals once more. Tatsu moved to cover him.  Her eyes flashed angrily, and it was clear to Kurohyou that she wasn’t sure what had caused the explosion; either a jutsu or something else nasty.  Obviously she had her suspicions: “Kurohyou,” she spat out.  “When I get my hands on you, I will make your life _hell_.”

Kurohyou laughed; it was a hollow, chilling sound even to his own ears.  “You can try,” he replied, moving forward to meet her blow for blow.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Inu form seals to counteract whatever Hattori was trying to do, throwing up an earth wall that effectively separated both him and Kurohyou from the jutsu.  Kurohyou felt the earth wall shudder with the impact before it disintegrated, and then Inu moved to engage Hattori in a blur. 

Tatsu looked shocked, as if she’d suddenly realized that Hattori wasn’t going to differentiate between potentially saving her and scoring a winning hit with a jutsu.  She was now just fodder, a nuisance, a means to an end.  She faltered and Kurohyou delivered a chakra-laden punch.  Her head ricocheted backward from the blow and she staggered, dropping to one knee.  Kurohyou pressed his advantage, black blade swinging in a tight arc, slicing across her damaged arm.  She cried out then and Kurohyou felt the adrenaline rise with the potential kill.  In the background, he heard Inu summon his ninken, and when he glanced over, the entire pack, including Pakkun, appeared to boil from the flagstones, latching onto Hattori, all teeth and claws.

Tatsu used Kurohyou’s distraction to her advantage, giving as good as she’d initially gotten with a roundhouse punch.  Kurohyou cursed as pain flared in his jaw momentarily and he forced himself to focus on the threat, even as she pushed forward, blade swinging.  He felt the sword bite into his side, brushed the pain away like swatting at a fly, and sent a wave of water her way.  She fell back, the water taking her feet from under her, carrying her across the room to the far wall.  Kurohyou clutched his side, pulling his hand back to find blood on his palm.

There was second explosion, not nearly as forceful as the first, but a clear indication that the initial fire had started another, and the conflagration was spreading rapidly.

“Time to go!” Kurohyou shouted, and Inu nodded.  The largest of Inu’s dogs, a giant with a spiked collar, bit down on Hattori’s arm and shook it as a warning for the man not to move.  Kurohyou glanced at Tatsu, who was still on the floor.  He watched as Inu walked slowly over to Hattori, who struggled futilely against the ninken.  Inu’s blade flashed, a bright arc of silver catching the flames, and then he brought it down double handed into the man’s chest.  Despite the deep wound to Inu’s shoulder, the blow had real force behind it, and Hattori arched upward as the blade connected, coughing up blood.  Inu twisted the katana and pulled it free, and Kurohyou watched dispassionately as the man slid off Inu’s sword, lifeless.

Inu seemed to take a deep breath, and he looked over at Kurohyou.  “We should go.”

“What about her?” Kurohyou gestured to the unconscious Tatsu. 

Inu cocked his head to one side and sheathed his sword.  He appeared to weighing things up, making decisions.  Another explosion and a deep rumbling seemed to settle things.  “We leave, now.”

Kurohyou nodded curtly.  “She’s a loose end,” he pointed out.

“We’re both injured.  We need to get clear of things here before this place comes down on our heads.”  He turned to the ninken.  “Thank you for your hard work,” he said.

Pakkun sat down and glared at Inu.  “You’re injured, badly.  We can carry both you and Kurohyou to safety.”

“We have another way out,” Kurohyou replied.  “But thank you.”

Pakkun nodded and the entire pack vanished in a puff of smoke.  “Are you going to carry me or am I going to carry you?” Inu drawled.  “The odds as to who is worse off are debatable.”

Kurohyou grimaced and held a hand to his side.  A creaking sound from above his head drew his gaze, and his mask was suddenly hit with small grains of grit.  The ground shifted and Kurohyou grunted at the pull on his wound, dropping to one knee.  Inu leaned down and pulled Kurohyou up, snaking a hand under his arm for support.  Kurohyou could see that Inu was bleeding; the cuts and scratches could be dealt with, however the wound in his shoulder was still bleeding heavily.  Kurohyou had no idea how Inu was still standing.

Another rumble from above was all Kurohyou needed to get moving.  He staggered forward, half pulling, half carrying Inu, while Inu did the same.  At that moment, two shinobi appeared; not ANBU, but fresh and itching for a fight despite the fact that the castle might come down on their heads at any moment.  One knelt next to Tatsu; the other pulled a blade and advanced.  Kurohyou debated; there was no way either of them could stand a protracted fight with fresh reinforcements.  He’d intended to use the double seal once they got clear of the castle, but it was obvious their options were now severely limited.  It was anyone’s guess how many shinobi and castle guards would be between them and freedom.

“We have to use the seal,” Kurohyou said.

“Okay.  Any suggestions?”

Kurohyou shook his head; even that hurt.  “No idea; never been tested.”

“What do we do?”  Inu shifted and Kurohyou grasped him tightly.  Inu’s voice was weakening and his weight was getting heavier on Kurohyou’s shoulder.  He had to act now. 

“Place your hand on my seal.”  He eyed up the approaching nin, who was taking a cautious approach, kunai drawn.  Kurohyou felt Inu reach around his torso and place a trembling hand on his seal.  It was awkward, so Kurohyou turned his back on the nin and faced Inu, taking Inu’s injured arm and placing it over his seal.  He did the same and stared into Inu’s eyes, meeting his gaze through the holes of the mask.  “We form three seals – dog, rabbit, dragon – and then, hopefully, the seal will activate.”

“Hopefully?” 

“Let’s find out.”  Their hands moved together, both of them used to forming seals.  It was a simple matter to combine their hands to form the same seal, one half of a whole.  As Kurohyou moved to form the dragon seal with Inu, he felt a rush of immense chakra pull through his system. He had a quick second to think, _shit, maybe we don’t have enough chakra for this_ , and then the world was ripped away.

Kurohyou felt a scream tear from his throat at the same time he felt something sharp slice his shoulder.  Something was wrong; the seal shouldn’t feel like it was doing this much damage.  He twisted in the rushing void, gripping tight to Inu, who had gone dead weight.  The pain in his shoulder increased and then the ground rushed up to meet him violently.  He felt Inu fall away with a grunt and Iruka rolled on the wet grass, breath heaving in his chest.  He thought he might vomit if he could get enough breath to do so.  Most of his chakra was gone; he could only imagine what Inu was feeling, having been lower on chakra from the start of the fight than he’d been.

Then, he heard a groan.  That was most definitely _not_ Inu.  Kurohyou twisted to the side, coming face to face with the Rock nin from the castle.  The pain in his shoulder reasserted itself and Kurohyou realized that the nin had probably used a kunai to get the jump on him just as they’d used the seal.  The kunai itself was nowhere in sight; it wasn’t in his shoulder, that much he could tell.  The nin’s eyes snapped open and he leered at Kurohyou.  Kurohyou summoned enough strength to punch the bastard in the face, watching the man’s nose explode in a bloody spray before rolling on top of him and trying to choke him.  The man was persistent, although chakra drained, and kicked upward, connecting with Kurohyou’s shoulder wound.  Kurohyou grunted and fell to the side.  He glanced upward, vision swimming.  He could see the seal carving he’d made in the tree trunk weeks ago, blurred now due to his vision, moving in a sickening lurch as his body fought for clarity.  A heavy weight settled over him, and he felt fingers around his throat as the Rock nin started to choke him in turn.  Kurohyou stiffened, realizing that the nin had the upper hand.  He’d designed the seal for two people; had calculated it to split the chakra expenditure equally between him and Inu, not to bring along a third passenger.  He was dangerously low on energy and chakra; didn’t have enough to fight off someone who was fighting fresher than he was.  His fingers scrabbled in the grass as he felt his air flow restricted. He tried to cough; his vision blurred again and then darkened.  A surge of pure adrenaline-fueled panic raced through his system; he hadn’t gone to all the trouble to get this far only to be killed by a Rock nin. 

Kurohyou felt his fingers catch on something in the grass, and he forced down the panic and reached as far as he could – not overly far, but just enough.  His fingers closed on a kunai, and he remembered then that he’d dropped the blunt kunai he’d used to carve the seal into the tree.  He sucked in a shuddering breath, fighting for air, still losing, and with the last of his strength, drove the blunt kunai into the nin’s throat.  The man’s eyes widened almost comically before his body went stiff and fell to the side. 

Kurohyou rolled to the side and then puked.  He managed to pull his mask off just before, but only barely.  He hadn’t eaten since last night, so there wasn’t much to show for it, only dry heaves as he fought for blessed oxygen.  After a moment, he began to crawl toward where Inu had landed.  He’d rolled, and was laying on his back, out cold.  For a moment, Kurohyou thought he was dead, but when he placed trembling hands against Inu’s pulse point, he could feel a faint flutter.  He pulled himself closer, fingers resting against Inu’s neck and dropped his head onto Inu’s shoulder.  Harsh shuddering breaths tore from his throat; the relief overwhelming for a moment.  When he’d calmed down enough, he pulled himself to his knees, checking Inu over, cataloguing the damage of myriad cuts and lacerations, bruises and wounds.  He pushed his own pain away and summoned the last dregs of his chakra to begin to heal the wound to Inu’s shoulder.  Once he’d got it partially healed, enough to stop the flow of blood, Kurohyou replaced his mask, laid next to Inu, and slid deep into blessed darkness.

 

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to take a quick moment to thank everyone for continuing to read! This is probably going to be the last chapter I post for about a month as I am getting married in two weeks. I doubt with my schedule I'll have time to post anything, but I will be writing and will get the next chapter up when I get back from my honeymoon!  
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Kurohyou.  Kurohyou?  Dammit, I need you to wake up.”

Kurohyou groaned and shifted, trying to turn over.  Pain flared to life. His entire body ached with it; he felt like every bone in his body was possibly broken.  When he opened his eyes, Inu was leaning over him, one hand to either side of his body.  Kurohyou tensed, instinctively sensing a threat, until Inu placed one hand on Kurohyou’s chest.  The gesture was comforting and achingly familiar, and Kurohyou relaxed minutely.

“Thank the gods.”  Inu sat back on his heels, swaying with exhaustion, no doubt.

Carefully, Kurohyou sat up, grimacing as his wounds pulled, newly formed scabs tearing.  “How long have we been out?” he managed to croak out through a dry throat.

“No idea. Drink this.”

Kurohyou took the proffered water and Inu turned away so he could drink.  The liquid was burning cold, but that suited Kurohyou.  His throat was raw and parched, and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d drunk anything.  After a few swallows he replaced his mask and handed the flask back to Inu.

Inu looked barely alive, although Kurohyou reckoned he probably looked the same.  He glanced at the sky; the sun was at ten o’clock, which meant that they’d slept through the night, without posting a watch.  Part of Kurohyou was horrified at the thought of what could have happened, but the body by the tree was more than enough of a clue.  Kurohyou cleared his throat.  “We need to make it to the border of Fire Country.”

Inu managed to nod, the gesture barely visible.  “The Hokage said she was posting shinobi cells at the border to keep an eye on Hidden Rock in case of an invasion.  Do you think you can make it?”

“We’ll have to; they can’t come to us, not without causing an international incident if we’re discovered.”  He struggled to his knees, and then to his feet, feeling every ache and pain as his body protested.  A warm trickle at his side reminded him of the wound he hadn’t healed, having been intent on saving Inu at the time.

“I can try to heal that?” Inu said, pointing to his side.  Kurohyou shook his head but Inu wasn’t taking no for an answer.  He let Inu pull up his flak vest and shirt, and he felt the warmth of Inu’s chakra, electric against his skin.  Inu’s hand shook with fatigue, or from the effort of using a body mostly drained of chakra.  “Sorry; I’m not great with healing, only killing,” Inu said, and Kurohyou laughed softly, wincing as the wound pulled.

“Thank you.”  He pulled his shirt back into place and said, “Let’s make for the border before I fall over again.”

“Not if I fall first,” Inu drawled, slipping an arm under Kurohyou’s shoulder for support.  “Last one home buys beer.”

“Deal.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was the longest walk of Kurohyou’s life.  Neither he nor Inu had the energy to run, or jog.  They supported each other, drawing strength from each other, as the hours passed.  They rested overnight, curled against each other for comfort and warmth, the thought of posting a guard an impossibility in their condition.  In the morning, Inu checked and dressed Kurohyou’s wounds as best he could, while Kurohyou returned the favour.  Kurohyou knew they were borrowing time; the walking dead refusing to give in and actually _die_.

Toward noon on the second day, Kurohyou felt his hackles rise, and he tightened his grip on Inu.  Under cover of the gesture, he whispered, “Three enemies, ten, two and six o’clock.”

“I know,” Inu managed to reply.  His voice sounded scratchy with fatigue; Inu had stopped talking last night, the effort simply too much.  “What have you got for a last ditch effort?”

“Nothing.”  Kurohyou didn’t even bother to check his chakra; his strength was also minimal.  The wounds in his side and his shoulder were a constant burning ache, the catalogue of other minor injuries no longer important.  It was too much effort, and he was sure Inu was in the same boat.

“Guess you’ll have to buy me a beer later,” Inu muttered.

Kurohyou pulled a kunai from his thigh pouch and passed it to Inu, who gripped it loosely. He pulled another and together they turned on the path, staring into the trees, back to back.  It was a token gesture; neither able to defend the other, but the _promise_ of defense was there, a reminder that they were comrades to the death.

The first enemy came at them slowly, the other two melting from the trees.  Kurohyou gripped the kunai tightly and, when the young woman was in range, he attacked with the last of his strength.  The woman yelped in surprise and jumped back out of range.  Behind him, Kurohyou could hear shouting; he felt Inu slip against his back and drop.  Rage bubbled up and Kurohyou found a reserve he didn’t know he had; enough to strike with the kunai and meet blades with the startled face in front of him.  Shadows swirled around him, his vision rippled and blurred and the voices became one, sounds blending into each other until he couldn’t make out anything.

He fell to his knees, the woman supporting him even as his fingers lost his grip on the kunai.  “Kurohyou-san!” the woman shouted, but he was fading, going fast.  “Kurohyou-san!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kurohyou blinked and opened his eyes, surprised to find that the sun had set and that he was apparently still alive.  Alive, but in the enemy’s hands.  He remembered fighting, of Inu slipping away.  He struggled to sit up and the world tilted.  Strong, firm hands pushed him back down.

“Well, if it isn’t the scourge of Earth Country,” a voice drawled.  Kurohyou blinked, trying to clear his vision. The man looked familiar, with a bandana across his head and a senbon sticking out of one side of his mouth.  The man turned away, muttering something about getting a medic.  He turned back to Kurohyou.  “We found you two miles into Fire Country’s border, just as the Hokage said we would.  This time her gambling paid off.”

There was a flurry of activity and Kurohyou fought his fatigue; to stay awake.  The young woman who’d attacked him earlier appeared and he tensed.  Her touch, when it came, was gentle.  “Kurohyou-san, you’re safe,” she said.  “Kurohyou-san?”

Kurohyou stared at her.  He should know her… and they hadn’t tried to remove his mask.  For a brief moment he wondered if he and Inu were safe or if this was just a prelude to nastier things.  The woman looked concerned and whispered something over her shoulder to the man who’d spoken a moment ago.

“Kurohyou, you’re in Fire Country.  Inu-san is safe too; I’ve healed him as best I can for the moment.  We need to take you back to Konoha.”

“Konoha?”  Kurohyou fought the hope he felt at that name.  He fixed his gaze on the woman; tried to remember where he knew her from.

“I’ve applied field dressings to your wounds; you should be okay until we can get you both home.”  When he didn’t reply, she frowned, then pasted on a fake smile, patting his hand.  “If you need anything, ask for Sakura.  That’s me, by the way.”

“Sakura?”  Memories hammered into Kurohyou with the force of a thousand jutsu.  A pink haired girl, a smiling blond boy, Kakashi-sensei, Team 7.  _Konoha_.

Kurohyou took a shuddering breath and relief flooded his system.  It was an adrenaline overload and he couldn’t process the sudden rush of emotion he’d locked away behind the façade of Kurohyou. 

_Konoha_.  Safety.

Iruka gasped, felt breath torn from his throat.  Sakura grasped at this hand, snapping a curt order over her shoulder for someone to find Neko-san or Raidou-san, _now_. 

Iruka struggled to sit up.  “Inu?  Sakura, where is Inu?”

“He’s going to be okay, Kurohyou-san.  You need to rest.”  She pushed him down, half-laying across him in an effort to restrain him. 

Genma appeared suddenly, senbon pushed to the side, a frown on his face.  “Er, Sakura? You realize you are forcibly restraining a captain of the _Oinin Butai_ , right?” he pointed out.  “You know, Kurohyou, the Black Panther?”

“The _Black Panther_ is half dead,” Sakura snapped sarcastically.  “And he’s my patient right now, so go get Raidou-san and move Inu-san in here before my _patient_ flips his lid.”  She fixed Iruka with a strained smile but didn’t move.  He may be half dead, but he was proud as hell of his former student right now, standing up to his alter-ego.  She had more balls than half the shinobi population put together.

After a few moments, both Genma and Raidou reappeared, half carrying, half dragging Inu with them.  He was thoroughly bandaged, and apparently also still on the brink of utter exhaustion if Sakura’s rictus smile was anything to go by.  A couple of medics brought a new cot and together they placed Inu in it, next to Iruka.

Iruka felt his body relax now that he had Inu close by.  It was a mixture of relief, of knowledge of a battle hard won together, of comrades.  Iruka felt his eyes start to close.  Maybe it was the rush of emotional release, but half of him suspected Sakura had probably managed to inject him with something to knock him out when she’d held him down.  He smiled; that was the woman he was proud of.  She’d grow up to be a fine shinobi. 

Iruka closed his eyes and slept properly for the first time in weeks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next time Iruka woke, it was in the ANBU infirmary.  The sun was low on the horizon, about to set just below the top of the Hokage Monument.  From his bed, Iruka could just about make out the top of the Fourth Hokage’s hair and, beyond that, in the far distance, the main entrance gate to the village.  Lights sparkled in the growing twilight; the village coming back to life after the lull of the evening meal.  With this view, it seemed that anything was possible.  Even surviving a trip to Earth Country, apparently.

Iruka shifted in the bed, wincing.  A tugging feeling on his side and his thigh warned him he was still healing and not to overdo it.  He felt weak as a kitten.  If he was going to be honest, he felt like shit.  Still, someone had thought to leave him with his cloth mask on, keeping up the appearance of anonymity even if it was token gesture. 

“Awake, are we?”

Iruka managed to turn his head to the side on the pillow.  “Godaime-sama?”

Tsunade nodded, a smirk playing at the corner of her mouth as she leaned against the doorway, arms crossed.  “I had a feeling you’d be awake soon.  Good to see I was right.”

“And Inu?”

“The brat’s still out of it.”  She moved into the room, closer to the bed, and pulled up one of the plastic chairs Iruka hated so much. “He’s actually worse off than you,” she added conversationally.  “Hard to believe I know; but he’ll pull through – providing he rests.  That goes for you too.”

Iruka, in the process of trying to sit up, thought better of it when he saw Tsunade’s expression.  He sank back down onto the pillow.  “How long have I been here?”

“Just over three weeks.”

“Three weeks?” Iruka struggled to sit back up, forgetting about his wounds.  He winced.

“Lie down, shinobi!” Tsunade barked.  “You have chakra exhaustion the likes of which I haven’t seen in years, three fractured ribs and countless other wounds that would simply take too long to catalogue.  Where the hell do you think you are going?”

“To see Inu?” Iruka mumbled hopefully.

“Wrong answer.”  Tsunade crossed her arms.  “You’ll leave when I say you will, and not before.  I’m not having one of my best shinobi re-injure himself because he’s being a stubborn brat.  I don’t need a carbon copy of the one in the other room.”

“Yes, Hokage-sama,” Iruka mumbled.  He couldn’t hide the stubborn set to his jaw, and he knew Tsunade could see it.  She sighed dramatically, and then stood up, fiddling with his IV line.

“You need rest, Kurohyou.  Once you’ve healed some, then we’ll talk.  Yes?”

Iruka nodded.  He was starting to feel drowsy.  He eyed Tsunade suspiciously and then the IV line.  After a few moments, he started to feel distinctly fuzzy.  “You – “ he managed to drag out past a thick throat.

“Me,” Tsunade said, nodding.  “Now sleep.”

_Dammit_ , Iruka thought as his vision faded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later – much later, if the sun shining was any indication – Iruka gained consciousness.  He felt less like shit and more like crap, which was an improvement, he supposed.  This time, when he moved, he could still feel the telltale pull on his wounds, but it wasn’t accompanied by sharp, biting pain.  He was able to move a little easier, and was able to maneuver enough to find the controls for the bed and bring it into a half-sitting, half reclining position.  The room spun for a few moments while he considered throwing up, and then it eventually stopped, the nausea fading slightly.  The noise of the bed moving must have alerted the guard outside his room that he was awake because the door slid open to reveal a familiar face.

“Genma-san?” Iruka croaked.

Genma grinned, sauntering in.  “Kurohyou.  How’s the patient?”

Iruka considered.  “Only partly dead rather than mostly.”

“Good to hear.  I’m gonna have to go get Tsunade-sama, okay?  I have orders to advise her when you woke up again.”

“She drugged me,” Iruka said petulantly.

“I know.  She does that.”  Genma didn’t seem overly concerned.  “Lucky for you this is the first time you’ve managed to injure yourself enough to warrant her attention.”  He flicked the senbon to the other side of his mouth.  “When I was in ANBU I had to deal with her twice.  Never again.”

“Shiranui? What kind of half-truths are you telling my patient?”  Tsunade’s voice was loud, and it sounded like she was spoiling for a fight.

“Oh shit,” Genma muttered.  Tsunade was standing in the doorway, glowering.  “Time to go.”

Iruka watched as Genma left, giving a casual wave.  He slid the door shut behind him, resuming his position outside.

“Any reason why I need a guard?” Iruka asked with a frown.

“For the same reason I had to post one on Inu.  Two days ago he went AWOL; we found him in here, watching over you, thank the gods.  At first we thought he’d pulled his usual MO – disappearing to lick his wounds in private – but then…”

“Inu was here?”

Tsunade looked at Iruka speculatively, like she’d suddenly had an epiphany. “Oh god, you have it bad,” Tsunade muttered, putting a hand over her eyes.  “Yes, Inu was here; half frozen to death in his hospital-issue paper pants and shirt, I might add.  He looked quite ridiculous in a mildly touching way.”

Iruka felt a silly grin start.  Inu had been here, watching over him.  He _did_ have it bad.

“Focus, Kurohyou.”  Tsunade sounded only mildly annoyed, thank the gods.

“Yes, Hokage-sama.”

“How are you feeling today?”

Iruka did a quick mental check.  “Better,” he said eventually.  “Less like I’m going to die.”

“That’s good news.” Tsunade took the chart from the end of the bed and began to flip through the paperwork, frowning.  Iruka felt the first stirrings of alarm; he always did when doctors made puzzled faces.  It made him wonder what was coming next, usually in the way of invasive tests.  “Your chakra appears to be starting to regenerate on its own, but then I probably don’t need to tell you that,” she began, hooking the chart back onto the bedframe.  “Your fractured ribs are healing, along with the wounds on your leg and side.  I decided to let those heal naturally, as it’s not always a good thing to heal wounds with chakra, as the body grows dependent on those techniques.”

Iruka privately thought Tsunade had gone the old fashioned way so that he wasn’t encouraged to get out of bed too quickly and re-injure himself. 

“You’re going to have quite a set of new scars, shinobi,” she added with a raised eyebrow.  “However, given a couple of weeks, you should be able to leave the infirmary and go home, providing you cooperate with me.”

Iruka nodded.  He knew he was at Tsunade’s mercy, and if he wanted to get out of there, he was going to have to toe the party line.

“Kurohyou, you are under orders to rest until you are officially released, am I understood?”

“Yes, Hokage-sama.”

Tsunade crossed the room, her heels clicking on the tiled floor.  “Good.”  She turned and her eyes narrowed speculatively.  “I don’t want to hear you’ve been up and around visiting other patients, am I clear?”

“Clear, Hokage-sama.”  Iruka watched her leave, sliding the door closed behind her.  He could see Genma’s shadow through the window, resuming his previous positon at the entrance to the room. Tsunade’s words reminded Iruka that he wanted to check on Inu – no, _needed_ to check on Inu – to make sure he was healing okay.  If Iruka was going to be honest, he just wanted to be with Inu.  The mission had brought them closer together; they were a tight-knit team now and he was not looking forward to the time when he’d have to go back to being just plain Iruka, because Iruka didn’t have Inu. 

He bit his lip and settled back onto the pillow, starting to feel tired again.  Even short conversations wore him out, but that was all part of the healing process.  For a moment, he wished Tsunade had used a healing jutsu because, if she had, he’d been a lot further along in the healing process.  Sitting still and waiting stuff out had never been his strong point; he was impatient by nature when it came to certain things.  Teaching kids was different; he seemed to have a vast reservoir of patience for that.  So... he’d swallow that impatience, and use the energy to get better.  Then he could see Inu again, especially since Tsunade had dropped the information that Inu was close by, in the same ward.  Besides, he reasoned, if he was awake later, maybe he could test his stealth skills out and locate Inu and check up on him.  Because he’d only really _agreed_ with Tsunade; he’d not actually promised her that he wouldn’t go looking for Inu, right?  Iruka checked his internal reasoning and decided that it was perfectly valid.  Shinobi bent the truth all the time, after all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka had discovered a rather unfortunate truth about almost total chakra depletion: namely, that your wounds tended to heal before your body regained its normal supply of chakra.  In ordinary circumstances, a shinobi is able to regenerate his chakra on the fly, even during a battle, providing you pace yourself.  After all, if you have a reserve, it’s easy to top that up, providing you meet both criteria of chakra creation: using spiritual and physical energy and combining them successfully.  Iruka had discovered the hard way that teaching about life-threatening chakra depletion was different than experiencing it; if your reserves of chakra are minimal or non-existent, it’s very hard to regenerate more of it, as you are starting from scratch.

Iruka spent another frustrating week watching his wounds heal while waiting for his chakra to start returning in sufficient quantities to actually use it.  The first time he’d attempted to use his chakra for stealth to leave his room, he’d crashed and burned dramatically, ending up nose-down on the floor in his ridiculous hospital-issue paper pants. Fortunately, his ANBU guard had not commented; the guard had simply picked him up and returned him to bed.  Lesson learned; Iruka stayed put after that.

Yesterday, Iruka had managed to form a small flame with a fire jutsu.  He’d been ridiculously pleased with himself, right up until the Hokage had appeared, looking thunderous and yelling about stubborn shinobi who hadn’t the common sense to notice that the hospital had alarm wards placed around it to notify the physician in charge when a patient attempted to use jutsu.

So, Iruka reasoned, if he wanted to check on Inu, he needed to do it the old-fashioned way and simply sneak out of his room.  He waited until dark and slid silently off the bed, pleased to notice his legs no longer trembled with fatigue.  No dizziness or nausea either; check.  His paper pants rustled as he took a step and he rolled his eyes, realizing that not only were the stupid pants disposable, but they were also useful if you wanted to keep a check on your shinobi.  Any ANBU worth their rank would have heard him coming.  In the end, Iruka decided to ignore the problem and he moved to the door, sliding it open slowly.  His guard was gone.  Tsunade wasn’t stupid; she knew he’d make a break for it eventually so, in the way of all shinobi, she’d let him do it and pretend she hadn’t noticed.

Iruka glanced down the corridor and, finding no visible clue as to which way his quarry might be, Iruka carefully reached out with his senses, boosting his small reserve of chakra to help out.  He was careful; cognizant of the fact that tanking his chakra all over again was quite possibly a suicidal thing to do.  There, on the edge of his limited range, he felt the familiar blue warmth of Inu’s chakra.  His heart skittered in his chest and, for a moment, he thought he’d really done it – blown his chakra in a spectacular and lethal way – and then he felt the answering caress of Inu’s chakra against his in greeting. 

Iruka grinned and set off to the left, stopping outside the third door down.  He placed a palm against the door and then pushed it open.  Inu was sitting up on the bed, one knee bent, arm resting across it.  He straightened up, momentarily tensing, and then relaxing when he saw it was Iruka.  He said nothing, watching as Iruka carefully made his way across the room, holding out a hand as Iruka slid onto the bed.

“Hey,” Inu said in greeting, voice low in case one of the guards returned.

“Hey yourself.”  Iruka shifted until they were close enough that their knees were touching.  How does one start a conversation with someone, Iruka wondered, when you’ve been through hell and back together, dragged each other’s sorry half-dead asses home, withstood torture, fought to keep that someone alive, and nearly killed yourself in the process?

“I see you haven’t taken your porcelain mask off,” Iruka said, opting for neutral ground instead.

“Hmm,” Inu responded.  “Someone tried that once and it didn’t go well for them, even though I was unconscious at the time.”

“Oh.”  Iruka reached out a hand and brushed it across Inu’s knee.  The paper rustled and Iruka felt a stupid grin form under his cloth mask.  Suddenly he realized that they didn’t need to talk about the whole life-and-death experience they’d been through; they’d experienced it together and that was enough to form bonds for a lifetime.  Talking about it was pointless.

“Ryo for your thoughts,” Inu said, taking up Iruka’s hand.  He sounded amused.

“Sounds expensive.”  Iruka watched as Inu turned over Iruka’s hand and drew his thumb across Iruka’s palm.  It tingled pleasantly, sending a warm answering shiver down his spine.  Iruka realized then that his body was healed, even if his chakra was still mostly shot to shit. But apparently, his body didn’t need chakra to wake his libido.  Iruka shifted on the bed and, when he looked up, Inu had his head cocked to the side.  He deliberately drew his thumb back across Iruka’s palm and then across his pulse point at his wrist, watching Iruka.

“Feeling better I see,” Inu commented.

“Bastard. You already know it doesn’t take much to get me started,” Iruka grumbled.

“I hope you shut the door on your way in.”  Inu shifted, half pulling Iruka up the length of the bed, Iruka assisting, until they were laying facing each other.  Inu slipped his leg between Iruka’s and wrapped his arm around Iruka’s waist, resting his hand lightly on Iruka’s ass.  “I really want to kiss you,” Inu half-growled in Iruka’s ear.

“You are going to have to take your mask off, then.”  Iruka nuzzled into Inu’s neck, breathing in his familiar scent, his eyes sliding closed.  He shifted his hips, bringing his hardening erection in line with Inu’s.

“You know I can’t,” Inu whispered.  “This has to be enough for now.”

Iruka nodded, knowing Inu would feel the gesture even if he couldn’t see it.  His hand tightened on Iruka’s ass, pulling him closer, and Iruka let out a small gasp.

“Are you up for this?”  Inu’s voice sounded a little hoarse.  He rocked forward experimentally, giving Iruka the option to back out if he wanted to.

“I am shinobi,” Iruka replied, his hand sliding under Inu’s paper shirt, splaying his hand on Inu’s warm skin.  “I endure.”

“Sarcasm in bed, I like it,” Inu replied, sliding his leg forward and up a little so that Iruka could ride his thigh.

“Although these fucking paper pants are driving me crazy. I want to set fire to them.”  Iruka leaned back enough to pull at the drawstring of Inu’s pants, tugging on the cord and then pushing them down over his hips.  He wrapped his hand around Inu’s erection and gave a firm stroke, feeling Inu’s cock twitch in response. 

There was a discreet knock on the wall and then the door slid open just enough for the person outside to glance in and then quickly away.  “Ah, sempai?”  The voice sounded mildly embarrassed.

Neko-san.  Iruka sighed heavily into Inu’s neck, released his grip reluctantly on Inu’s cock, and sat up on one elbow.  Neko had clearly been assigned guard duty outside Inu’s door and he wondered how much he’d overheard.

“Kurohyou-san?” Neko’s musical, deep voice was pitched low so nobody else would hear.  “Unless you are practicing origami folding for the inter-village championships, I suggest you return to your room.  I think the Hokage is on her night rounds and will probably be coming in this direction shortly.”

“Fucking paper pants,” Iruka grumbled, realizing that the damn things probably made quite a noise, and even more so when they were under constant strain of movement like a moment ago.  He wondered then just how loud they’d been. 

Inu let out a quiet laugh, clearly amused.  “Maybe next time, Kurohyou?”

“Definitely next time.”  He slid off the bed, glad to find his legs hadn’t decided to give out again.  Neko had probably seen more than he wanted to, because he slid the door shut and resumed guarding the door.  Iruka leaned over the bed, enjoying the look of Inu laying there, pants undone, body lax.  He looked more like a cat than a dog at the moment, and Iruka squeezed Inu’s hand and leaned over.  “I’ll see you later.”

Inu made a sort of relaxed, but happy, grumbling noise in response, fingers tightening around Iruka’s.  “Later, Kurohyou.”

Iruka padded over to the door and slid it open, joining Neko on the other side.  He looked down the corridor and back.  “How long were you – “

“About five minutes, Kurohyou-san,” Neko replied in an amused tone.  “You should get back to bed before Tsunade-sama finds out you’ve been, ah, attempting to _exercise_ without permission.”

“Noted.”  Iruka gave Neko-san a wave and set off back the short distance to his room, humming to himself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Six days later, Iruka was officially discharged by Tsunade.  He’d had to go through a series of tests, both physical and chakra-related, to prove he was recovering on schedule.  Then he was given an exhaustive list of things he was not supposed to do, along with a list of things he could, and instructions on a training regime to bring him back up to par.  The problem with being field-ready at ANBU level, Iruka thought with a grumble, was that a person had that much further to go on a scale of fitness in order to be mission ready.

Still, it was relief to finally get back to his apartment and shed the trappings of the _Oinin Butai_ again.  His uniform was long gone, but he still had his porcelain mask, which he locked away in the same chest as his spare ANBU uniforms.  Then he stripped off his cloth mask, throwing it to the side, and showered.  Iruka wasn’t afraid to admit he’d missed his shower; the ones at the ANBU infirmary were okay but they weren’t his.  Then he fell into bed, ignoring the dusty clutter that surrounded him, and slept.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka was very cognizant of the fact that Tsunade had not officially released him from duty as a hunter-nin.  He spent the next few days tidying his apartment, exercising and getting stronger.  When he sparred with other partners, he could now feel the liquid strength of his muscles again as he moved and, as the days passed, he was able to mold chakra much quicker; to use his body like he had before.  His ribs were fully healed and he could only feel a slight tugging and ache on the wounds on his side and his thigh instead of the intense burn he’d had before.

He started going to the ANBU training fields, hoping to catch sight of Inu but, so far, he’d had no luck.  Instead, he began working on his water rope jutsu.  It was a useful jutsu and, since he had downtime, he needed to practice; to get the jutsu under control.  He’d been extremely lucky the two times he’d used it on missions, just managing to keep it in check long enough to do what he’d needed.  Iruka practiced for hours, honing his body and his chakra, working so that they both flowed together.

One afternoon, a week after he’d been discharged from the infirmary, he felt the tell-tale burn on his hip, a flare of white-hot pain.  He was being summoned by either Ibiki or the Hokage.  He glanced around the training field, noticing for the first time the ankle-deep water he’d summoned to practice his jutsu, and he promised himself he’d come back and clean it up later.  He reached down and picked up his porcelain mask, slipping it over his cloth one.  He slid his katana into place over his back, adjusted his leg-wrappings, and then vanished in a cloud of leaves.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Kurohyou, Inu.  We need to debrief now that you’re both somewhat recovered.”

Iruka closed the door to the Hokage’s office behind him and walked to the center of the room, offering a bow to Tsunade.  Inu had arrived before and stood at attention next to Iruka.  He shifted, a miniscule change of posture Iruka’s only indication of acknowledgement.  This was serious, then.

Ibiki stood in his usual place near the Hokage’s desk and nodded in greeting.

There were a few moments of uncomfortable silence, during which Tsunade stared at both him and Inu, her fingers laced together under her chin.  After another moment, she sighed and stood up.  Her chair scraped loudly on the wooden flooring, setting Iruka’s teeth on edge.  She walked over to the window and leaned against the sill.  Tsunade appeared to be considering her words as she stared at them. 

“Firstly, and most importantly, I want to thank you for your hard work; both of you.  I still don’t know how you made it out of Earth Country – that’s a discussion for another time – but I want you to know that the village, and I, am grateful for what you have done.”  Tsunade turned, looking out of the window for a moment before focusing back on the room.  “When I sent you both on that mission, I was not sure that even the two of you could pull it off.  I hope you understand why I sent you, and what was at stake?”

Iruka nodded.  “Of course I understand, Hokage-sama.  It was both my pleasure and my duty.”

“Hmpf.”  Tsunade looked a little relieved, Iruka noted.  “Whatever you did, we can confirm without a doubt that the sleepers have been deactivated.  At this juncture, most of them have returned to active duty now they’ve been checked out by Ibiki, including Nara Shikaku.  Some, like Ookami, will unfortunately never recover to their former selves.”

Iruka could feel Inu tense at that statement; the ANBU equivalent of silent outrage and anger.  Iruka bit his lip under the mask.  He had thought that, if their mission was a success, everything would go back to normal.  For some, like Ookami, that was not to be the case.

“Earth Country is currently in chaos,” Tsunade continued.  “According to intelligence reports, the Daimyo committed seppuku three weeks ago and his son stepped into the role as his replacement.”

“Seppuku?”  Inu sounded surprised and not a little skeptical, echoing Iruka’s thoughts.  After a few moments, in which Tsunade did not respond, Inu added, “You think the Tsuchikage had something to do with this, am I right?”

Tsunade glanced at Inu and then back out of the window.  “You’re smarter than I give you credit for sometimes, Inu.  Maybe I should have you moved to T & I?”

Iruka glanced quickly at Inu, who had stiffened just enough for it to be noticeable.  Across the room, Ibiki made a face that Iruka assumed was supposed to be a smile.

“Relax, shinobi, I was just kidding.”  Tsunade grinned; it was rather shark-like.  “I’ve called you both here because I would like a full report on the mission to Earth Country.  Who wants to start?”

“Of course, Hokage-sama.”  Iruka took a breath, organizing his thoughts.  “I will do my best and then maybe Inu can fill in any blanks.”

“Agreed.”

“Initially, we made our way into Earth Country, met up with our contact, and proceeded to the town of Kyassuru Gai, which is where the intelligence was pointing to,” Iruka began.  “Once there, we spent a few weeks collecting information and preparing to infiltrate the castle.  The information we collected led us to believe that a man called Hattori Rikuto was masterminding the operation to infiltrate Konoha, along with Hidden Mist.  It is my belief that the Daimyo was aware of the plan, but I have no proof that he was actively involved.”

“We would have gotten evidence eventually,” Inu added.  “However, we were on a tight schedule.”

Tsunade looked thoughtful.  “Continue.”

“During reconnaissance, I had the misfortune to observe Tatsu, our missing ANBU, inside the castle grounds.  Putting two and two together, we had evidence that Hattori was indeed working to bring down Konoha with Tatsu’s assistance.  Inu and I decided we needed to act immediately or risk exposure.  We infiltrated the castle under cover of darkness, and gained entry through the castle wall.”

“ _Through_ the wall?” Tsunade sounded impressed.  

“I’d like to know how the hell you both managed that,” Ibiki said, crossing his hands behind his back.  “But that can wait until later.”

“Once inside the castle, we made our way to the Daimyo’s strong room, which we understood would probably hold the forbidden jutsu scrolls that had been stolen.  Our intention was to destroy those and possibly locate the force-bred Aburame.  Inside that room we found six Konoha ANBU masks, obviously belonging to the missing ANBU from Uzushio.”

Tsunade looked shocked, and then her face flushed angrily, the color high on her cheekbones.  She crossed her arms, lips a white line where they pressed together.  Ibiki looked annoyed, which meant he was probably ready to flay anyone alive who had the misfortune to be wearing a Hidden Rock hitae-ite.

“Continue, Kurohyou,” Tsunade barked.

“Below the strong room, we located the catacombs and engaged some of the Rock shinobi, along with Tatsu and the Aburame.  We also engaged our ANBU, who had been reprogrammed.  We had no choice; they didn’t recognize us.  The only thing they knew was the mission they’d been given; to kill us.  I’m sorry, Hokage-sama, but we – “

“Do _not_ finish that sentence, Kurohyou,” Tsunade snapped.  She sighed and her expression softened.  “Do not think that either of you are to blame for having to take action against our own shinobi.  What was done to them was done by others; enemies of Konoha.  You did what had to be done for the sake of the village, understand?”

Iruka stared into Tsunade’s eyes for a moment, searching for the truth behind her words.  Her golden eyes flashed darkly with anger, but it was not directed at him or Inu.  “Understood.”

“Good.”

After a moment, Iruka said, “Inu was captured, but I continued the mission, finding the location of the scrolls and destroying them.  Unfortunately, it may have contributed to lessening the structural integrity of the castle.  Once the scrolls were destroyed, I located Inu and we engaged Hattori and the Aburame, then we returned to Waterfall Country via my fuinjutsu.”

Tsunade eyed Iruka up shrewdly.  “I want to know about this sealing jutsu you used, Kurohyou.  It sounds dangerous.”

“It is dangerous,” Iruka admitted.  “However, I felt its use was necessary under the circumstances.”

“It almost killed you,” Tsunade pointed out.

Inu cleared his throat and then spoke. “We were half-dead anyway, Hokage-sama.  If the seal had failed, nobody would have been the wiser.”

Tsunade grunted agreement, but she didn’t sound happy about it.  After a few moments of silence, she said, “The official dispatches issued from Hidden Rock state that there was a large earthquake which partly destroyed the Daimyo’s palace in Kyassuru Gai.  The civilian rumour mill has a different version; namely that dissenters loyal to the Daimyo were taken out by Hidden Rock shinobi, who blew up the castle.”

“The rumour mill is closer to the truth in this case,” Inu pointed out.

Tsunade pushed off the window sill and began to pace.  “I had an interesting missive from Onoki this morning.”

“The Tsuchikage?”  Iruka raised an eyebrow behind his mask.  Now, that was interesting.  Judging from the way Inu tensed, he thought the same thing.

“Quite.  They don’t call him ‘the fence-sitter’ for no reason.  It is his wish that Hidden Rock and Konoha enter into an informal truce.”

“I notice he didn’t use the word ‘ _alliance’_ ,” Inu said skeptically.

“Have you replied?” Iruka asked.

“I have not,” Tsunade replied.  “It’s clear that Onoki was up to his eyeballs in this shit – I know for a fact that he had Hidden Rock shinobi at the border, ready to cross into Grass and then into Fire Country should Hattori’s plan have been successful.  A number of our own shinobi cells sighted Hidden Rock nin on different occasions during their tenure on the borders.  When the plan failed – thanks to you and Inu – the invasion force bled back into the desert and vanished.”

Ibiki leaned against Tsunade’s desk and said, “It’s clear that the Tsuchikage is now playing both sides; I’d stake my career that he’s probably behind the Daimyo committing seppuku.  It’s a tidy solution to his problem: Onoki pretends he knew nothing about it, playing the innocent card, and the Daimyo takes all the responsibility for Hattori, choosing to off himself instead.  With the Daimyo taking all the blame, Konoha can only officially claim suspicion but, since we can’t admit to being in Earth Country at the time of the ‘earthquake’, there’s not much we can do.  Onoki gets to keep his position as Tsuchikage and make overtures of peace, while we officially pretend nothing happened.”

“Very tidy,” Inu observed.

“Very annoying,” Tsunade snapped.  “Sometimes I hate diplomacy.  If Onoki was here in front of me, I’d tear his balls off and shove them down his irritating, lying little throat.”  Tsunade clenched her fist and shook it for effect.

Iruka tried to block out the vision of exactly what Tsunade’s threat would look like in person. “So what happens now?  We do nothing?”

“Unfortunately, Kurohyou, that is exactly the case.”  Tsunade sat back down, leaning back in her chair.  “However, the threat from Hidden Rock has been dealt with for now and, just maybe, they’ll get the message – for a little while at least.  They’ve now seen firsthand what only two of our shinobi can do, and how much collateral damage we can cause.  Hopefully, they’ll think twice before they start something like this again.”

“I don’t like this anymore than you do,” Ibiki added, straightening up.  “But, as Tsunade-sama says, we have to let diplomacy take the lead in this case.  It’s just a shame we don’t have Hattori Rikuto on hand to question.” 

Privately, Iruka thought that Ibiki sounded far too interested in that idea, and he suppressed a shudder with difficulty.  Judging by the shrewd look on Ibiki’s face, he’d noticed Iruka’s reaction anyway.

“I want a report on my desk from both of you detailing the entire mission as soon as possible,” Tsunade said.  “And Kurohyou, we will be discussing this fuinjutsu you used in more detail.  It sounds like something the Nidaime, Senju Tobirama, would have been interested in.”

“Of course, Hokage-sama.”  Iruka bowed.  “I would be happy to, whenever you have time.”

“Very well.  Both of you are dismissed for now.  Kurohyou, I want you to stay on active duty at this time with the _Oinin Butai_ , at least until I’m sure the threat from Hidden Rock has passed.”

Inu bowed and followed Iruka from the room, closing the door.  He paused in the corridor and turned to Iruka.  “How are you feeling? Almost recovered? You looked a little shaky the last time I saw you.”

“Better.”  Iruka leaned against the wall.  “What about you?”

“So-so.  I could do with a sparring partner.”  Inu tilted his masked face toward the ceiling, looking for all the world like the comment was of no importance whatsoever.

Iruka grinned.  “Huh, me too.  I suppose I could spare the time to properly kick your ass now that you aren’t as fragile as before.”

Inu turned his head.  “ _Fragile_?”

“Hmmm.  I wouldn’t want to hurt you, or your pride.”

Inu slid along the wall and leaned into Iruka’s space until their masks were almost touching.  “Those are fighting words, Kurohyou,” he purred.  “If you carry on in that vein, I’ll have no choice but to kick your ass to prove a point.  And then it won’t be your _pride_ which will be smarting afterward, trust me.”

Iruka closed the final distance between them until he could whisper into Inu’s ear, “Hunting cats have sharp claws, Inu, remember that.”

“I’m counting on it,” Inu whispered sweetly.  “Tomorrow then, at dawn?”

Iruka leaned back and snorted.  “No way.  After this mission, I deserve to lie in as often as possible.  I’m not getting up early even for you.”

“Ah, the honeymoon is over,” grumbled Inu.  He reached out and brushed his gloved fingers over Iruka’s wrist in a goodbye.  “I’ll see you tomorrow, at some point, then.  I’ll be waiting for you to attempt to kick my ass.”

Iruka laughed, and watched as Inu waved and disappeared around the corner.  He was looking forward to sparring with Inu tomorrow, but first, he had an ANBU training ground to drain of water.  He formed seals and disappeared.

 


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back!! (Finally). Thanks for all the good wishes for the wedding! Hopefully this chapter will not disappoint, but it is setup for more to come. I should be posting updates every couple of weeks, as I have a cosplay to make for Yaoi Con in San Fransisco in September.
> 
> I also got a Tumblr, although I haven't quite figured out how to use it yet or what the hell it is for. I'd love to find some kakairu stuffs over there, so if you have a Tumblr and want to add me, I'm also Caeseria over there ;)
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Well, let’s see it then.”  Iruka waved a hand at Izumo toward the general area of his midsection, and raised an eyebrow.  “I keep hearing from Ko about how awesome your scar is.”

“ _Oi_ , I said no such thing,” Kotetsu argued.  He leaned forward on the edge of his stool and signaled to K for another round of beers before slumping back in his seat.

Izumo grinned and carefully placed his beer back on the tabletop.  “You just wanna stare at my fabulous abs.”   

Iruka snorted, narrowly avoiding doing so into his beer.  “No, really,” he replied, “I’m just curious.  Because Ko got really, really drunk while you were in the hospital, and he was worried.  That level of concern must mean it’s a pretty good injury.  Besides,” Iruka sipped his beer and paused for effect, “face-planting on the bar floor in front of a large group of your peers is pretty embarrassing.  I had to carry him home and leave him with a bucket by the bedside in case he puked.”

“You did no such thing!” Ko’s cheeks took on a slight flush of embarrassment.

“Oh?” Izumo stared at Ko and a shit eating grin broke out on his face.  “I didn’t hear about this.  What happened?”

Iruka started laughing, only stopping when K plonked a tray with three beers down on the table.  “What happened,” K began conversationally, “is that this idiot ninja tried to dent my floor with his forehead, and in front of a large group of elite village shinobi, no less.  I thought Hatake Kakashi was going to piss himself laughing.”  K wheezed a couple of times in quick succession, until Iruka finally realized it was probably laughter.  With a casual flick of his dirty cleaning rag, K swiped down the table and left with his tray.  He was still laughing by the time he reached the bar and began taking orders from the after-dinner crowd that was starting to trickle in.

With a mock huff, Kotetsu pulled his refill toward him.  “Look, it was a minor slip and fall, that’s all.  Nothing to get excited about.”

“Well, your chin appears to have healed, anyway,” Iruka muttered.  He ducked to the side when Kotetsu tried to swipe at him.  “So… Izumo.  Show us what you got.”

Grumbling, Izumo leaned back, grasped the edge of his t-shirt and rolled it up.  The scar had healed nicely, but stood out pink against his skin.  “It goes from shoulder to hip,” Izumo explained, “although I’m not baring my entire torso for the edification of every pervert nin in the bar.”

“You’re a spoilsport,” Iruka said with a laugh.  “They won’t thank you for just the peep show.”  He glanced over at Ko, who had a distinct flush across his cheekbones.  Iruka was pretty sure it wasn’t from the alcohol.  He winked, and Ko flushed darker, although Izumo seemed not to notice the exchange since he was rearranging his shirt.

“So you heading to the harvest festival tomorrow, Iruka?” Izumo asked, settling himself on his stool. “It’s going to be a week of awesome relaxation. And drinking!”

“Maybe.”

“What? We always go.  You can’t bail on us this year; it would be bad luck.”

Privately, Iruka thought he’d had enough bad luck so far this year although, if you really wanted to turn it around, getting out of Earth Country in mostly one piece could be considered a positive instead.  This thought led straight into thoughts of Inu and Iruka could feel his mood start to sour.  Sure, he’d managed to meet up with Inu on occasion over the last week, using the excuse to spar but, other than that, the man had been absent.  Iruka worried that Inu wasn’t fully healed, which was stupid because, without fail, Inu could kick his ass even when they were playing around on the training grounds.  That wasn’t an idle boast either; Iruka wasn’t the type to hold back just because they were friends and occasional lovers. 

Iruka slugged back the dregs of his beer and slid down off his stool.  He fished in his jeans pocket and pulled out some money, throwing it on the table.  “Sorry guys, I’m going to take off,” he said apologetically.  “Need an early night.”

“Flying fucking Thundergods, Iruka,” Ko said.  “You suddenly look like you’ve been stood up by a potential hot date.  What gives?”

Iruka grinned despite his mood.  Ko was always good for a colorful expletive or two.  He could be very creative given the opportunity and some alcohol.  “I can’t drink too much,” he explained.  “I’ve got my final medical checkup tomorrow morning and, if I want to get back to regular duty and my kids, I need to pass this.  I’ll meet up with you tomorrow, I promise.”

Izumo nodded.  “Take it easy, Iruka.  See you at the festival.”

Iruka waved, leaving Ko and Izumo to their drinks.  He wove his way through the increasing crowds, which seemed more lively than usual.  The harvest festival did that – it was an age-old celebration of bounty and usually involved a lot of eating and drinking, and it made people boisterous, more so with the shinobi.  That tonight was the eve of the festival didn’t seem to matter. 

Iruka was almost at the door when he bumped into a man carrying three beers.  Iruka apologized and sidestepped, directly into a firmly muscled body.  Hands reached out to steady him and when Iruka looked up to apologize yet again, he recognized Hatake Kakashi.

“Kakashi-san, I’m sorry,” Iruka started, putting up both hands to balance himself.

“Just Kakashi.  We had this conversation before,” Kakashi said.

“Right, right.”  Iruka nodded, glancing away and then back again.

“You seem distracted.  Is everything okay?”  Kakashi frowned, his one visible eyebrow drawing downward. 

“Fine.”  Iruka took a deep breath.  “I was just leaving, that’s all.”

“Not staying even if I buy?”

Iruka swore internally.  His and Kakashi’s relationship was muddy to start with, and with the newfound truce they had, Iruka didn’t want him to think he was just blowing him off.  “Sorry; I have a medical tomorrow, and I need to get an early night.”

Kakashi slipped his hands into his jeans pockets and moved to the side.  “I understand, Sensei.  Maybe another time?”

“Yes.” Iruka let out a relieved sigh.  “Good night, Kakashi.”  He smiled to show no hard feelings and then moved to the side, slipping out through the door.  Once outside he began to move quickly, starting to jog and then, for the sheer joy of it, breaking into a run and taking to the rooftops.  Below him, he could see that some civilians were already putting out lanterns for the festival, and the streets were bathed in pockets of flickering yellow and orange light.  Iruka dropped down a level, pushed silently off a balcony, and slipped into his apartment through the window he’d left open.  He toed off his shoes and padded barefoot through the kitchen, pulling off his shirt as he went, along with his hair tie.  It was a funny ritual he had; he felt like he was stripping away layers of himself until, by the time he made it to the bedroom, he was just plain Iruka, and not anything else.  Nobody had any expectation of this Iruka; he was free to be what he wanted, which suited him just fine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka passed his medical with flying colors, which was relief.  The nurse ran him through a series of exercises, checked him over brusquely, and stamped his release form, formally declaring him fit for a return to his regular duties.  Still, Tsunade-sama had not officially released him from the _Oinin Butai_ , so he was technically unable to return to the Academy and his students.  He wasn’t overly worried; the kids had the following week off for the festival, and were not due to return until the Monday after that for the start of the Autumn term.  This gave Iruka ten days’ grace and, if he was not officially released from his duties with the _Oinin Butai_ by the end of next week, he decided he would need to find out why.  Spinning his wheels in the village with no sense of purpose was a nightmare any shinobi dreaded.

Iruka took a shower and spent the day puttering around.  As darkness fell, he pulled out the yukata he traditionally wore to festivals and slipped into it, tying the blue fabric shut with an obi just above his hips.  As a concession to the festival spirit, he pulled up his hair and secured it with a decorative stick that had belonged to his mother.  He slipped on tabi and took the outside stairs down to the street, which was bathed in the warm glow of many lanterns.  The crowds were only just starting to fill in the narrow lanes between apartments and houses; those with children were returning home while the darkness was beginning to bring out the adult crowd, fresh from dinner and looking to party.  Konoha’s harvest festival was always in mid-October and was still based in its rural roots, a celebration of the (hopefully) bountiful harvest which would take the village through the winter.  When Konoha was founded, Fire Country was still recovering from decades of war, and a good harvest was something to celebrate.  Now, five Hokage later, the village still celebrated, lighting lanterns to stave off the impending winter chill, fireworks to welcome the harvest, and food and drink, although with the large shinobi population, the drink tended to flow very freely.  To a shinobi, you never knew when your luck was going to run out in a bad way, and it was preferable to party now and not hold back, just in case one day you didn’t make it home.

Iruka made his way easily through the crowds and turned onto one of the major thoroughfares, heading toward one of the parks.  He spotted Ko and Izumo waiting at a stand selling yakatori and ikayaki, and he waved in greeting.  Both were dressed in brightly colored yukata, and Kotetsu immediately made a face at Iruka.

“When the hell are you going to buy a new yukata?  You look about sixty in that traditional blue getup.”

“There’s nothing wrong with this,” Iruka huffed.

Izumo rolled his eyes.  “Iruka, we are _supposed_ to be celebrating.  You are wearing something I’d expect my granddad to be wearing.  You are close to thirty years too young for that thing.”

“It’s comfortable.”

“It’s ugly,” Kotetsu pointed out, gesturing with his stick of ikayaki.

Iruka gave Kotetsu a flat look.  “Are we going to watch the fireworks or not?”

“Yes, let’s get a move on before all the good spots are taken.  We brought sake.  What about you?”

Iruka held up a small white gourd with the word ‘sake’ written on it and Izumo let out a triumphant laugh.  “Yes! Is that the stuff I think it is?”

Iruka nodded.  One of his student’s parents liked to gift Iruka with a bottle of very potent, top grade sake every year at the close of school.  Iruka usually saved it and shared it at the Matsuri with Ko and Izumo.  It had become something of a tradition amongst the three of them.

As a group they began to move with the crowd toward the park.  As of now, the crowd was good natured, but Iruka could feel the undercurrent of tension starting to build.  It gave an electric frisson to the air, a sort of breathlessness that was biding its time.  Later, after the fireworks, when the village was plunged back into darkness with only the lanterns to guide the crowds, the real fun would begin. 

Iruka squeezed through the crowds and climbed the hill, his friends following.  They found a small spot to sit and uncorked Kotetsu and Izumo’s sake.  The good stuff would be saved for last although, for the life of him, Iruka couldn’t figure out why – usually by the time they got to his sake all three of them were tipsy and hardly able to tell the difference between the good and the mediocre.  Still, it was tradition of a sort, and tradition was important to a shinobi.  It meant a return of sorts, that you’d make it through another year without dying, and that was worth celebrating.  As Iruka sat there, sipping shitty sake with his friends, he reflected on the mission to Rock, and just how close he and Inu had come to never making it home.  At that point, Iruka decided it was pointless to mope; Inu was not around, and if he was, Iruka most likely would not recognize him anyway.  He would enjoy the time he could spend with his friends, and worry about everything else later.

The fireworks were particularly impressive this year.  Iruka wondered if Tsunade had gone all out in an attempt to give the proverbial finger to Rock, to prove that Fire Country and Konoha were inviolate, never changing. That, no matter what the enemy tried, Konoha would not fall.  Iruka sincerely hoped so.  He cracked open the bottle of the good sake, and both Izumo and Kotetsu made a face of surprise.

“What, already?” Izumo said.

“Why not? Might as well appreciate the good stuff now while we are able, and drink the shitty stuff on the way home,” Iruka explained, pouring it into the sake cups.  “Kampai!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_I am tipsy,_ Iruka thought, pronouncing the words in his head carefully.  He wended his way through the crowds which, as the evening had progressed, had become more boisterous.  Ko had one hand latched onto Iruka’s sleeve, and was almost bent double laughing at something Izumo had said; what that was Iruka couldn’t remember, because that had been ten minutes ago.  Apparently it was still funny. 

It was close to midnight, and the crowds in the thoroughfares were celebrating.  That frisson of excitement was starting to heighten as people drank and ate.  The lanterns, with their flickering light, had started to burn out, plunging some areas into darkness.  A woman’s laughter carried through the air; music from one of the taverns mingled with the noise of the crowd.  Someone broke a glass and the crowd cheered.  Although tipsy, being a shinobi, Iruka still kept a good sense of what was around him.  A body brushed against his occasionally as someone stumbled; usually a civilian, rarely a ninja.  The thumping beat of sensual music washed over Iruka as they passed a bar, and then receded as they turned the corner and down another of the main streets.  Iruka felt the ground rumble and vibrate beneath his feet, and the crowd murmured and then cheered.  Someone called out that the old gods of the shinobi were happy, and the party continued on.  Iruka felt another person brush past him, and he distinctly felt a hand press against his hip, a lingering touch, an invitation if he chose to accept it.  It seemed the celebration had reached its peak; the festival had finally morphed into the usual Bacchanalia of drunken eroticism it was famed for, but never spoken openly about.  Those that wanted to would be pairing off now, finding secluded spots in the parks and alleyways.  Everyone else would continue to party.

Someone called out Kotetsu’s name and the group veered in the direction of the voice, towards a table placed on the pavement outside one of the quieter bars.  It was Genma, out with Raidou and, to Iruka’s surprise, Neko.  Genma made introductions.  “Everyone, this is Yamato.  Yamato, Iruka, Kotetsu, Izumo.” 

Iruka nodded, deciding that he was going to have to watch himself; he couldn’t let Yamato know that he knew who his ANBU persona was, because that would involve questions Iruka himself couldn’t answer. 

“Ah, so you are Naruto’s old sensei,” Yamato said with a smile.  He looked a little different without the faceplate he normally wore, his short brown hair flopping down over his forehead.  It softened his features, made him look younger.

“That would be me,” Iruka replied with a grin, proffering the sake bottle since the bartender was busy.  “Sorry, this is the shitty sake.  We drank the good stuff.”

Yamato nodded.  “Anything is good at this point, trust me.”

“So, you’ve heard of Iruka then?” Kotetsu leaned in over the table, holding out his cup for more sake.

Yamato nodded.  “Kakashi sempai often talks of Naruto and Iruka sensei.”

“ _Often_?” Genma leered at Iruka and nudged him in the side suggestively.  “I’d say you were in with a chance there, Iruka.”

“Oh, grow up,” Iruka muttered good naturedly.  He felt another hand on the small of his back and turned around, glad to find it wasn’t Genma, but probably a passing reveler.  He still felt guilty about jacking off Inu in the alleyway in Rock, whilst wearing Genma’s face.  He felt a blush start and he ruthlessly fought to bring it down to a manageable level before anyone noticed.  By the time Iruka tuned back into the conversation, Izumo was in the middle of a secondhand recounting of Iruka’s rather public spat with Kakashi over the chuunin exams. 

Iruka rolled his eyes, but let Izumo ramble on.  It was too much trouble to try to correct him over the details, and he did spin a really good tale when he’d had too much to drink.

An hour passed in friendly gossip and chat.  Neko – Yamato, Iruka reminded himself – was a good drinking companion; funny, ready to listen, but able to spin a good tale in return. Still, Iruka felt himself winding down, a pleasant fatigue catching up with him.  The crowds were thinning out, and Iruka wanted his bed.  Izumo was attempting to lever Kotetsu away from the table; the bartender was calling last drinks, and Iruka knew Izumo would want to get a good start on getting Kotetsu home before he passed out messily on the street.  Iruka waved sheepishly to Genma, Raidou and Yamato and helped Kotetsu from the bar, ducking one hand under his arm to support him while Izumo paid the bill.

They meandered as a group down the street, turning left into the area where Izumo’s apartment was.  Walking off the alcohol was a good thing.  Even Kotetsu became steadier, finally shrugging off his helpers and walking alone, only stumbling occasionally.  Iruka was inclined to let the idiot fall on his face again, but Izumo looked concerned.

“Don’t worry, I’ll catch him if he falls down, Izumo,” Iruka commented with a grin.  “We don’t want a repeat of the last time that happened.”

Izumo laughed, causing Ko to look back with a frown.  He lost his balance and staggered to the side a couple of steps, until his equilibrium righted itself.

“God, I hope he doesn’t go arse over tip,” Izumo said.  “Especially not in that yukata.  It could be embarrassing.”

“Oh shit,” Iruka replied, “please don’t say that.  I could never look him in the face again.”

“Or the arse.”

Iruka laughed and a dog began barking from behind a nearby fence.  “That’s your job,” Iruka replied. 

“Go get the fuck out of here,” Izumo said.  “I’ll get this idiot home.”

Iruka waved and veered to the right, wending his way through the back alleys toward his own apartment.  He climbed the outside stairs sedately, keeping in mind he was wearing a yukata and not his shinobi fatigues, and finally made it to his balcony, slipping inside and locking the door behind him.  He toed off his tabi, dropped the bottle of empty sake on the kitchen counter, and collapsed on the bed at last.  He was just buzzed enough to not want to sleep, his mind working overtime.  Eventually his thoughts drifted to Inu and he pushed the yukata to the side, untying the obi, stroking his hand down over his stomach toward his hardening cock.  He let his mind wander, allowing random images of Inu to float to the surface, letting them come and not pushing them away.  The random touches of strangers against him all night had left him wanting more and, since he was buzzed, he let the tight feeling of arousal course through his body rather than repressing it.

The window was open, but Iruka didn’t care.  He could see the moon through the curtains, a flash as someone let off a stray firework.  He stroked himself firmly, pushing his hips up into his fist, imagined Inu inside him, fucking him.  He moved his hand faster, looking for fast release, and a moan escaped his lips.  The sound heightened his arousal and he arched his back, panting hard. 

Another firework went off and the sky was bathed with a warm glow.  Iruka came with Inu’s name on his lips, a bitten off cry that escaped regardless, loud in the room.  Outside, the glow from the fireworks illuminated a dark shadow crouched in the tree, but it was gone by the time Iruka’s breathing had returned to normal.  He slipped into a pleasant half dream state, not bothering to move or clean himself up, before finally falling asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka had just finished making a batch of onigiri when he felt the tattoo on his hip start to burn. He tutted, waiting for the burning sensation to flare, but for a normal summoning of his alternate persona, this was pretty mild by comparison.  He frowned at the area of the tattoo, then began to pull out some containers to store the onigiri in.  Ibiki could wait five minutes, he thought, because he’d been sitting around for weeks waiting to get cleared for active duty so it was only fair. 

Iruka shoved the meal in the fridge with a sigh, knowing that now dinner could be hours away depending on what he was being summoned for.  He changed into his hunter-nin uniform, put on his black mask, and headed over the rooftops toward Ibiki’s office, trying to stay out of sight as much as possible.  Once near the Academy, he dropped to the arboretum rooftop and in through a window, cutting down on some travelling time.  It was a quick matter to slip through the Hokage’s residence and then another shortcut to make his way to T & I.

He could hear the tail-end of a conversation from within Ibiki’s office as he pushed open the door.  He was surprised to see Inu there, with the Hokage.  She wore a grave expression and seemed to be concentrating intently on what Inu was saying.

“-have it stored up here. It wasn’t a problem to transcribe it,” Inu finished as Iruka shut the door.  Inu turned around, seemed to stiffen for a moment, and then his body language abruptly relaxed once he saw Iruka.

“Hokage-sama, Inu-san.”  Iruka offered the Hokage a bow and then nodded to Inu.

“Kurohyou, come in.”

Inu nodded.  “Kurohyou.” 

Once the door was closed, Tsunade cleared her throat to get Iruka’s attention.  She leaned back against Ibiki’s desk, arms crossed, a stern look on her face.  “Kurohyou, I’ve called you here for two reasons.  To start with, I have bad news to impart: Morino Ibiki has been incapacitated and will be out of action indefinitely.”  She paused, and then when it appeared Iruka wasn’t going to interrupt, she continued, “During the first night of the festival, Morino Ibiki was caught in an explosion.  We have reason to believe a particular scroll he was working with detonated, but fortunately he was able to use a water jutsu to shield himself from the worst of the blast radius.  Currently he is in the ANBU infirmary with extensive steam burns, but is expected to make it.”

Iruka’s brain stuttered to a stop for a brief moment, shock making it hard to think.  Then he remembered the earth tremor they’d all felt during the festival, and realized that that must have been the initial explosion.  Iruka felt sick, and his hands curled into fists before he consciously forced himself to relax and think clearly.  “Hokage-sama, I cannot believe that Ibiki of all people would be stupid enough to set off something that could be potentially armed. Not without taking proper precautions first.”

A ghost of a smile crossed Tsunade’s face.  “You and me both, kid.  However, I have it under good authority he was examining the copy scroll you bought back from the enemy base.  It’s likely he decided to test it out, which is why I called Inu in here to advise.” 

Iruka felt the blood drain from his face.  “But Hokage-sama, neither of us noticed anything untoward on the scroll, other than the writing that Tatsu had inked on the outside.”  Iruka suppressed a shiver with difficulty; both he and Inu had had a lot of contact with the scroll; hell, they’d subjected it to a goddamn _open flame_ without anything happening.  How the hell had it exploded?

Tsunade appeared to be watching Iruka, and his body language, carefully.  After a moment, she said, “Inu, do you have anything to report?”

“I’ve finished transcribing the scroll as you asked.”  Inu’s voice was deep and even, but knowing him so well, Iruka could detect an undercurrent of strain there, a tightness to his polite tones.  Inu was furious, but had it contained so tightly that a stranger wouldn’t have even noticed.  He reached into his pack and pulled out a scroll.  He walked to the desk and, when Tsunade nodded, began to unroll it.  Curious, Iruka took a step forward so he could see better.  As Inu secured the scroll from rolling with scroll holders, Iruka could see what appeared to be an exact copy of the original scroll.  The only difference was that the paper was much thinner, simply a roll of regular paper, and not the creamy velum of the original scroll.  It was also smaller, and Inu had not bothered to transcribe all the decorative details around the edges.

“Wow,” Iruka said.  “When you said you had an eidetic memory you weren’t joking. You managed to transcribe this after what has to be a couple of months, from memory? Remind me never to piss you off.”

Inu snorted.  “It’s quite likely that not only did Tatsu do something to the outside of the scroll, she may have also made changes to the original jutsu on the inside.  It would stand to reason she’d had quite a long time to study the scroll before we forced her into revealing her true allegiances at the base – it could have been in her possession for possibly months beforehand.  It’s not a stretch to think she could have adjusted the jutsu inside, knowing that, eventually, someone would attempt to use it.”

“But how did she alter it?” Iruka asked.  “We had the scroll in our possession for months after we destroyed the base.”

“Probably the same way she used ghost-writing with the lemon-juice on the outside.  She would have changed this sigil here – “ Inu pointed a gloved finger at a set of signs to one side of the main panel, “ – and this one, adding these two signs which form a specific clause.  When we applied heat to the scroll to reveal the writing on the outside wrapper, the heat also caused the invisibly applied alterations she made to appear on the _inside_ of the scroll, permanently changing the jutsu from one that makes a duplicate copy to one that is instead a potentially lethal bomb, waiting to explode the first time someone channels chakra into it.”

“Fucking _shit_ ,” Iruka bit out, leaning his hands on the desk.  He could feel sweat breaking out between his shoulder blades.  “So the scroll was basically a giant fucking exploding tag with extras?”  He glanced at Tsunade and cleared his throat.  “Er, sorry, Hokage-sama.”

“You’re years too late, Kurohyou, to offend me with swearing,” she said.  She began to pace up and down the room, eerily reminiscent of the Head of T & I.  “However, I don’t believe Ibiki-san was her potential target.”

“You think it’s just coincidence?” Iruka asked, raising an eyebrow.

Tsunade paused.  “Quite likely.  Maybe she was hoping you or possibly Inu would use it, taking either one or both of you out.  That didn’t happen but, you have to admit, the mission in Rock might have gone a lot differently if either one of you hadn’t been present.  It’s possible that Hattori Rikuto or even Oonoki could be sitting in my chair at this moment.”

“Thank the gods that never happened,” Iruka said, letting out a deep breath.  It was horrifying to think even that that far back Tatsu had been planning steps ahead, with either his or Inu’s death in the forefront of her mind.  It was a good job she was dead.

Tsunade stopped pacing and turned to Inu.  “Thank you for your hard work, Inu.  Take the scroll down to the vaults and make sure the copy is disposed of properly.  I don’t want anyone to get their hands on what is even an adjusted version of this scroll; it needs to be destroyed before someone gets a smart idea to test it out again.”

“Of course, Hokage-sama.”  Inu pushed the scroll holders away and began to roll up the scroll.  Iruka watched in silence, recognizing that, for some reason, Tsunade was dismissing Inu.  He frowned, watching Tsunade for a moment as she sat down at Ibiki’s desk, steepling her fingers under her chin.  She was wound as tight as Inu, if not more.  Something else was clearly going on; something she was either unwilling to discuss with Inu present or didn’t feel he needed to know.  This meant that this was _Oinin Butai_ business, and not ANBU. 

Iruka watched, helpless, as Inu made his way to the door with the scroll in his hand.  _Dammit_ , he thought.  _Now I have no chance of intercepting him before he leaves.  Shit_.  Inu bowed to Tsunade, nodded to Iruka and slipped out the door, shutting it quietly behind him.  Iruka turned back to Tsunade.  The tension in the room had suddenly skyrocketed and the atmosphere was uncomfortable to say the least. 

Tsunade pushed away from the desk, reached into a drawer and pulled something out, sliding it across the desk with enough violence that Iruka instinctively moved to catch it.  As it slid dangerously close to the edge of the desk, Iruka recognized it as an ANBU mask.  The pieces parted, showing it was already broken.  “Kurohyou, do you recognize this?” Tsunade’s voice was like dark flint; sharp and dangerous.

It was the second time that day that Iruka was caught off guard and his hand paused above the mask, not wanting to touch it.  His mouth was suddenly dry, his heartbeat a little faster, adrenaline starting to surge.  He nodded abruptly, unwilling to speak, prolonging the moment when he would need to give voice to what he had suspected.

“Well?” Tsunade snapped.  She looked deadly serious, golden eyes seeming to bore into his own mask.

Iruka licked his lips.  He glanced up at Tsunade, let his hand drop back to his side.  “It’s Tatsu’s ANBU mask – the one she had in Earth Country.  I can tell because it’s not white – it’s the same markings as her Konoha one, but it has the distinctive pale gold color belonging to a Rock ANBU.  It’s how I recognized her in Kyassuru Gai.  Where did you get this?”

Tsunade looked thunderously angry.  “It came back on the body of one of our chuunin; Akiba Naoki.”

Iruka sucked in a breath, let it out shakily.  He knew Naoki, had worked with him occasionally on stints at the mission desk.  From what he remembered, Naoki had been cheerful, although he kept to himself.  He had a wife and a young daughter at home.

Tsunade said nothing, waiting while Iruka struggled for composure.  “Come with me, shinobi,” she said finally. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka followed Tsunade down a hallway, deeper into the bowels of T & I.  Tsunade’s heels rapped out a sharp staccato beat on the tile flooring, and Iruka had to struggle to keep up with her rapid pace.  He slowed once he realized they were nearing the morgue, but Tsunade was moving with purpose and he almost lost her once she turned a corner.  Fortunately, she was waiting, and he increased his pace to meet her.  She slowed briefly outside the door to the morgue, and then pushed the door open with both hands.  Iruka followed, eyes blinking behind his mask to adjust to the sudden onslaught of bright, sterile light from the incandescent strip lighting overhead.  She barged through another door marked _Room 3_ and stopped at the head of a metal table.  It bore a body covered with a white sheet.

“You can remove your mask here if you wish to do so,” Tsunade said.  “We are deep inside T & I and all staff have been dismissed until I call them back.  I want your full attention on this, Kurohyou.” 

Iruka nodded and removed the porcelain mask.  Without the added layer of protection, he could now smell how sterile the air was.  Despite this, he could make out the faint trace of disinfectant and something unpleasantly bitter and sour.  He wrinkled his nose but made no comment.

After a few moments, Tsunade moved and pulled back the sheet over the body.  Iruka remained stock-still, mouth dry, as the body was revealed.  Akiba Naoki’s face looked peaceful in death, even relaxed but, as Tsunade revealed more of the body, it was apparent that his death had been far from it.  As shinobi, Iruka was well aware of the mortality of the job; however, he would never get used to seeing the body of a comrade.  It was worse when it was someone he actually knew.  He had not moved in the same social circles as Naoki, but he had worked with him occasionally.

“I want you to be objective,” Tsunade said.  “Take your time and tell me what you see.”

Iruka nodded and forced himself to view Naoki’s body as if it was just that; a body, a corpse, nothing more.  “The body is covered in a number of deep cuts,” Iruka remarked eventually.  He tried to regulate his tone, remain detached from what he was seeing, but it took all of his training to do so.  “No bruising on his body, so he was not beaten.  His hands were bound.”  Iruka pointed to Naoki’s arms and wrists, lying by his side.  There were deep welts and scrape marks as if he had struggled to free himself.

“I didn’t take you for the squeamish type,” Tsunade snapped.  “Look harder.”

Iruka let out a breath and examined the body again.  He wasn’t sure what Tsunade wanted from him, but it was clear that this was leading toward a point, one he hadn’t recognized yet.  After a few moments he said, “The cuts are precise and deep.  These were not made during a fight, or the cut would be shallow on one side as the blade was swept to the side, especially if the target was moving to avoid a blow.”  Iruka made a sweeping gesture with his hand, indicating a slashing movement with a sword.  “I would have to assume the target was not in motion at the time these were made, and combined with the marks on his wrist, it’s likely he was held immobile at the time of his death.”

“Good.  What else?”

_What else_?  God’s teeth, what was the woman looking for?  Staring at the body, it suddenly came to him, something he’d forgotten, random information obtained long ago during a mission probably, useless information he knew he’d never need.  Until now, that was.

“There are nine cuts,” Iruka said, looking up and meeting Tsunade’s eyes.

“Which means what?”

_You know damn well what_ , Iruka thought.  Why was Tsunade drawing this little fact-finding game out for so long?  “The Nine Cuts is a particularly brutal form of ritualized killing, practiced only by a certain cadre of nin in Hidden Rock.”  Tsunade said nothing, so Iruka continued, “The way the cuts are placed on the body is indicative of the technique: literally cutting across the major tenketsu points, a ritualized severing of the soul and chakra from a living person.  Five cuts to the torso – horizontally along the heart line, stomach and just below, two vertical, a further cut below the navel along the main point where chakra is stored and released to the system, a shallow cut on the throat, and finally one on each forearm. Nine cuts, made with precision.  Naoki had his wrists bound above his head, otherwise the person who did this would not have been able to make the necessary cuts to the inside of his forearms.”

“I’ve not heard of this technique being used for generations,” Tsunade added soberly.  “Even then it was rumor, a tale simply to frighten children that I had, until this point, discarded as myth.”

“Someone is clearly setting their allegiance firmly with Hidden Rock, and wants us to know that.”

“And coupled with the mask I just showed you,” Tsunade bit out, “What does that tell you?”

_She’s a loose end… we should dispose of her…_

Iruka – no, _Kurohyou_ – had said that just before they aborted the mission in Earth Country.  “You can’t think Tatsu is still alive?” 

“The evidence seems to stack unfavorably in that direction.  Would you not agree?” Tsunade replied.  She crossed her arms.  “The mask, which was returned with this body, the manner of Naoki’s death… if she is alive, she is making damn sure we know she did this.”

“I find it very unlikely she survived the destruction of the castle,” Iruka said cautiously.  “She was badly injured.  When the castle came down, it should have crushed the basement levels, flattened them.”

“And yet we have a body here that says otherwise.”

“It could simply be coincidence.” Iruka was trying very hard to justify it, his mind whirling with thoughts.  No wonder Tsunade had dismissed Inu; he would take this very personally.  _Hell_ , Iruka thought, _I’m taking this personally_.  The bitch should be dead, no two ways about it.

Still, something bothered him.  “Hokage-sama, I don’t see any marks around Naoki’s mouth.  That means he wasn’t gagged and would probably have made a great deal of noise.  Where are the rest of his team?”

The corner of Tsunade’s mouth twitched, the beginnings of a bitter smile.  “Naoki went out on a mission in a typical three-man formation, all chuunin.  One is MIA, the other is in the infirmary with a broken ankle and shattered collarbone.”

“MIA?”  _Shit, this was starting to sound all too familiar_.  “I want to speak to the survivor,” Iruka said.

Tsunade gave Iruka a considering look.  “Be my guest, Kurohyou.” She flicked the sheet back over the body.  “I will be in my office when you are done.”

Iruka nodded and then slipped his panther mask back over the cloth one, effectively blocking out the nauseating smell of the morgue, for which he was more than glad.  He bowed, and with a final glance back at the shrouded body of his comrade, he left the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At times like this, Iruka thought, he was glad for the uniform of the _Oinin Butai_.  Most people who came into contact with him when he dressed like this treated him with wary respect, some with hostility, and those with something to hide (or something they thought they should hide) usually appeared nervous.

Then there were those, like the asshole in front of him now, who tried to bullshit through their mistakes with forced bravado.  Iruka hated these the most: this was the type that tended to run, and that Iruka was usually sent out to retrieve.  The only difference in this case was that this one wasn’t going to run anywhere with a broken ankle – not yet, anyway.

Iruka stood at the foot of the bed and picked up Yada Kaito’s medical chart, giving it a quick glance.  True, beyond the basics, Iruka was by no means a medical expert, but Kaito didn’t know that.  He let Kaito look him over surreptitiously, let him note the uniform and the mask, and give the man a few moments for the reality to sink in.  Iruka replaced the chart and fixed his full attention on Kaito.  “Yada Kaito: part of a three-man team assigned to a simple scroll delivery mission to a village in Hot Springs, C-Rank.  Partnered with Akiba Naoki under the command of another chuunin, Tsunoi Yuzuki.”

“Correct, Hunter-san,” Kaito said.  He shifted around, getting comfortable against the pillow he was leaning against.

“Tell me what happened on this mission.”

Kaito nodded.  “The mission went according to plan.  We delivered the scroll as requested and then made for home.  That’s when we were attacked. I swear right now; we were not expecting to be attacked by a Konoha ANBU.  At first we thought it was a joke, didn’t put up much of a fight.  Then Yuzuki went down and we realized it was serious and started fighting back.”

Kaito’s rushed statement, covering all the basics, sounded rehearsed to Iruka.  He moved from the end of the bed toward Kaito, stopped, and then began walking back.  As Iruka turned, he watched Kaito monitor his movements.  The man looked jumpy and nervous, eyes tracking Iruka’s actions quickly and erratically. 

“Give me the sequence of events,” Iruka stated.  “Describe the fight.”

Kaito swallowed, a sign of nervousness.  “Er, I suppose we were sitting around – it was late at night and the moon was up,” he started.  “The ANBU simply walked into camp and began throwing jutsu, then she pulled a sword.  I was trapped in an Earth Release technique, and was unable to free myself.  I felt my ankle break when I went down and the earth closed around me.”  He paused, clearly thinking things through, staring off toward the ceiling and to the side.  It was a telltale sign of someone rapidly thinking ahead, organizing thoughts, deciding what to omit and what to reveal.  Iruka smirked humorlessly behind the mask.

“She knocked Yuzuki out cold; I saw him go down.  I don’t know what happened to Naoki; I passed out from pain.  It was daylight when I came to, and I could see the body of Naoki to one side, all cut up.  The mask was lying next to him.  I managed to free myself and made it back to the village, then called for assistance.  And that is all I know, Hunter-san.”

Iruka stopped pacing for a moment, pausing to think.  “You’re honestly telling me you heard nothing – not even someone carving up your friend and comrade?  It would have taken a long time, shinobi.  Naoki’s death was _not_ quick, mark me on this.  He would have screamed for hours.”

Kaito looked subdued, but still had a stubborn set to his jaw.  Iruka fought down his growing irritation and tried a different tack.  “This ANBU you mentioned; they just walked into your camp? With proper guards posted, you should have spotted them a long way off and enacted proper protocols to ascertain if this person was legitimate.”  Iruka leaned over the bed and placed both hands on the bed, getting in Kaito’s face.  “Why don’t you tell me the truth?  Three chuunin should have been able to at least incapacitate a single ANBU, enough to neutralize the threat.”

“I-I’m not sure what you mean?” Kaito stuttered.

Iruka tutted angrily and jerked away.  “Currently you are facing court-martial for dereliction of duty, negligence, and abandoning a comrade in need.  Do you want to add lying to a superior officer to the list?”

Kaito shook his head rapidly and sank back further into his pillow.  “Fine,” he began sullenly.  “It was a C-Rank mission; child’s play.  We bought some sake from the villagers, made camp a few miles out in the forest, and had a few drinks.”

“You posted no guards?”

Kaito snorted.  “The mission was a cake-walk; we didn’t see a reason to.”

“And now we have one person MIA, one dead in a very messy fashion, and you with a broken ankle.”

Kaito had the grace to look ashamed, although the way he set his jaw told Iruka that most of it was an act.  This was a person who would try to save his reputation at the expense of others.  Yuzuki may have been captain on this mission, but it was likely that Kaito was the ringleader of that night’s events.

“Describe this ANBU for me,” Iruka snapped. 

“Tall and lean, wearing the usual Konoha gear.  No mask; I didn’t see that until later.  A woman.”

“What did she look like?”  Iruka was aware his voice was tightly controlled but, judging by Kaito’s expression, he could feel Iruka’s attempts to restrain his killing intent.

“It was dark and she was attempting to kill me.  I can’t say I was that worried about etching her features into my memory,” Kaito said flatly.  After a moment of silence, Kaito offered, “She had shoulder length dark hair; that’s all I can tell you.  Other than the fact she was furious; you could tell.  It made her dangerous, she had no care for her own safety.  Her movements were jerky, matter-of-fact, with no grace to them.  She had a slight limp, favouring the left side of her body.  Oh, and a set of scars down her left arm.”

It was a vague description to go on, but it was something.  “Thank you for your help, shinobi,” Iruka said, moving toward the door.

“What will happen to me?” Kaito asked, hesitation in his voice.  It was beginning to sink in for him that the future was not so sure, along with his career.

Iruka turned back.  “That’s not for me to decide,” he said, sliding the door to the room open.  “I’ll make sure the Godaime gets your report.”  He shut the door behind him, a little more violently than normal, and walked down the corridor, ignoring the startled look from one of the nurses at the front reception. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“The bloody idiots were drinking and got caught unawares.  I’d almost call it a rookie mistake, except for the fact that most rookies are too young to drink alcohol.”  Iruka stood to attention before Tsunade, who was looking out the window.  She seemed to be passively observing the village and its goings on.  At this point, he would have loved to have been out there passively going about a normal day as well.  It was not to be; he knew Tsunade was going to send him out on a mission.

“Did he describe the ANBU?”  Tsunade glanced at Iruka quickly, and then back out the window.

“A tall, lean woman with shoulder length dark hair.  She walked with a slight limp and had scaring down her left arm.  She didn’t wear the mask; that showed up on the body later.”

“The scarring is new,” she observed.

“If it’s Tatsu, it would probably have something to do with a castle falling on her head,” Iruka observed dryly. 

Tsunade snapped another glance at Iruka and raised an eyebrow.  “Sarcasm aside,” Tsunade replied, returning to her desk and sitting down, “We have a rogue nin on the loose masquerading as a Konoha ANBU.” She held up two fingers.  “Two, she’s a danger to other nin out there performing missions.  Three, and by no means less important than the other items, we have a missing chuunin.”

Iruka waited patiently; clearly Tsunade was gearing up to the main point.  “Kurohyou, I’m dispatching you to find this ANBU.  If it’s Tatsu, she could well be following her original modus operandus; take a hostage and attempt to convert them to her side.  Clearly she no longer has the backing of Earth Country since Oonoki hung her out to dry, so she’s going it alone – I hope.  Find Tsunoi Yuzuki and Tatsu.  Make it your top priority to bring Yuzuki home.”

“And Tatsu?” 

Tsunade gave Iruka a speculative look.  “Your original mission still stands; neutralize that threat at all costs.  Do you understand?”

“Yes, Hokage-sama.” 

“This is top priority, Kurohyou, I don’t have to tell you that.”

Iruka bowed.  “Understood.  I will leave before dark.”

“May the soles of your feet be firm, Kurohyou.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	17. Chapter 17

Iruka made his way north-east, sticking to regular routes, until he reached the border of Hot Springs two days later.  Once he was across the border, Iruka melted into the forests, following the usual procedure of going dark without further contact.  The village that Yada Kaito had mentioned his team had stopped in was in the north of the Country, almost at the border of Frost and Lightning.  The air had a damp, wet tinge to it and, this time of year, the scent of coming snow was in the air, unlike Konoha, which was still enjoying warm autumn days.

At first, Iruka had difficulty locating the site of the team’s camp using Kaito’s directions, and he spent time finding the village and then backtracking from there, putting his skills to good use.  Despite their carelessness the night of the attack, Kaito’s team had done a good job of covering their movement away from the village.  When he found the camp, it was clear there’d been one hell of a fight.  The ground was split and shattered in a number of places, and kunai and shuriken littered both the ground and the surrounding trees.  Some foliage was scorched; a remnant of a fire jutsu, along with the tell-tale smattering of blood on some of the leaves and soil. 

Iruka dropped to the ground quietly, checking his surroundings.  He did _not_ want to make the same mistake as Kaito’s team and lower his guard, even for a second.  Once he was sure he was alone, he crossed to the remains of the campfire and began to work out a pattern of events, seeing if it corresponded with Kaito’s account.  For the most part it did; Iruka could clearly see in his mind’s eye what had happened, just by observing the ground around the site and the pattern of jutsu dispersal.  Here, Kaito had been caught in an Earth Release as he described; Iruka could easily make out the way the rough grass had been disturbed, see where he’d clawed at the earth to get free before passing out. 

The rest was not so clear cut.  There was a faint marking where another body had lay, a distinct rise to the earth behind this.  It looked like someone had been thrown backward with a great deal of force before coming to rest.  Toward the east side of the camp there’d clearly been a struggle and a prolonged fight using jutsu.  The ground was still damp, indicating the remains of a water jutsu.  Iruka nodded to himself; if the days had been warmer, this evidence would have evaporated.  As it was, the ground was probably covered with frost at night here, so the water had remained as a testament to the battle. 

Drag marks disappeared into the trees to the south, and Iruka followed them, all the while keeping one eye for anything out of place.  If the ANBU was in fact Tatsu, and Iruka had to admit, all the pieces fit rather neatly, he had to be ready for anything. 

Iruka followed the trail, noting broken twigs still on bushes and trees; the marks of a body being moved in tight quarters.  After a few moments he realized he was following a deer trail, a meandering thin path carved through the trees by the local wildlife.  The trail was becoming difficult to follow; deer, or another similar animal, had used this trail recently, muddying the tracks he was trying to shadow.  Cursing, Iruka took to the trees.  Tatsu couldn’t have taken Naoki too far, he reasoned.  It wouldn’t be worth it, to expend so much energy to move an unconscious person you intended to kill anyway.  She wasn’t trying to hide the body; she would want it found the next morning. 

Suddenly, the trail went cold.  Puzzled, Iruka paused, resting on one knee on a branch.  He scanned the area, scowling.  It didn’t make any sense; both Tatsu and the body would have had to have gone somewhere.  He dropped lightly to the ground, feeling the cushioning deadfall and moss beneath his feet.  He scuffed at the leaves, clearing them to reveal the ground beneath.  It was a porous, crumbly limestone, covered with a thin layer of dirt that the trees had done their best to sink roots into.  It stood to reason that the limestone had larger pockets and cavities within it.  It wasn’t a stretch to think that, over time, running water and invasive tree roots would crumble the rock.  There must be caves below somewhere, Iruka realized.  That’s why the trail had gone cold; that’s why Naoki hadn’t heard anything.

Iruka backtracked through the trees until he found the last sign of Tatsu’s journey through the forest.  Then he began to examine the ground more carefully.  Now that he was looking for it, he found a thin fissure in the rock twenty feet from the trackway and, as he moved, it began to widen out until it was about two feet wide.  Easy to miss.  He peered down, kneeling at the edge.  With the sun at the correct angle, he could see a cave below, or, if not a cave, clearly a place that had subsided enough to form a deep pocket in the limestone.  It was about twenty feet deep, but Iruka was able to drop into it and follow a small trickle of water that led him to what he could comfortably describe as a cavern.  Above him, he could make out light, but the fissure was just that: a thin opening above him and not a true cave in the sense of the word.  He looked around, noting piles of jumbled rock that had peeled from the sides of the cavern.  The water beneath his feet meandered around these obstructions, burbling away to the far side of where it joined a larger stream before exiting through a hole near the base of the wall.

To one side of the stream lay a tree that must have fallen from above, the ground having eroded away its root systems.  Here, Iruka finally found what he’d been looking for.  A long section of rough hemp rope, tied in loops, marked with dark stains that were probably blood.  It was tossed casually to one side, the ends sawed through with some kind of knife. 

The tree was still mostly covered in bark, although it was rotting in places due to the damp conditions, and moss was growing on the top side.  Iruka found rope fibers in the rough surface, along with traces of more blood.  It stood to reason that Naoki had tried to fight free once he had regained consciousness.  In the end, he’d no doubt wished he had remained unconscious.

From what he could see, Iruka guessed that Tatsu had secured him face-up, over the tree in a backbreaking pose, and then had completed her work.  Any noise Naoki would have made would not have travelled upward to the surface, but along the fissure, effectively channeling his cries for help.  Scuffs marks, along with a Konoha sandal imprint, told of his futile struggles to get away.  Iruka pursed his lips, his jaw tight enough to make his teeth ache.  This was pure and simple sadism, and all to get Konoha’s attention. The question now remained: was Tsunoi Yuzuki MIA, like he originally assumed, or was Tatsu saving him for the same fate later on down the road? What the hell was her reason for this?  Iruka swore and rose to his feet.  He backtracked, jumping along the rocks until he was able to boost himself back up to the surface with a chakra-enhanced leap or two. 

As he crested the lip of the fissure, he caught a blur out of the corner of his eye. Iruka changed direction rapidly, twisting to the side and letting loose with a couple of kunai and palming an exploding tag.  The blur barreled into him, knocking him to the side and Iruka landed on his back, sliding through the leaves that covered the soil.  Heavy weight settled over him, pinning him down, and a hand closed around his wrist and pulled it above his head, preventing him from using the tag.

“Ah ah, none of that.  Did you miss me?”

“Inu,” Iruka ground out, managing to make it sound like a swear word.  “I could have killed you.”  He bucked, trying to dislodge Inu, to no avail. 

Inu settled himself more comfortably over Iruka’s hips and leaned down until his mask was inches from Iruka’s.  “I’d like to think I was prepared for your reaction,” Inu said in a carefree tone of voice.  “I _wasn’t_ prepared for you to try to unload most of your kunai stash in my direction.  And the exploding tag would have been nasty.  Are you going to let go of it?”

Iruka tightened his grip on the tag and shook his head.  “Not until you get off of me.  In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m tracking an S-Rank missing nin and I don’t have time for this.”

Inu shrugged.  “Time for what? _This_?”  Inu rolled his hips and wiggled enough for Iruka’s breath to hitch.  It was clear that Inu noticed, and he flexed his fingers around Iruka’s wrist; a subtle tell Iruka observed, regardless of the fact that he couldn’t see Inu’s face. 

“Pakkun’s keeping a watch nearby,” Inu continued.  “Besides, if you thought Tatsu was around, you wouldn’t have gone down into that hole.”

“It’s a cave.”  Iruka bucked upward, almost dislodging Inu, who shifted until Iruka was pinned once more.  “Why are you here? Did Tsunade send you out after me?”

“Something like that.  Now release the tag, Kurohyou-kun.”  Iruka sighed, chose to ignore the not-so-subtle term of endearment, and relaxed his fingers, making sure Inu could tell he was only doing it to keep the peace.  The tag fell to the side and Inu cocked his head.  “Ah, that’s better.”

“I met my side of the bargain, now get off of me.”

“No fun and games? Disappointing.”  Inu gave a dramatic sigh but climbed to his feet, reaching out a hand to pull Iruka up.

Iruka dusted himself down and picked up the discarded tag, rolling it tightly and stowing it in his backpack.  “I’d feel more comfortable away from here, to be honest,” he explained.  “Let’s get back to the original camp and I’ll see if I can pick up Tatsu’s trail from there.  This trail only leads to the cave, so I’ll need to locate her other one.”

Inu nodded.  “Found something unpleasant down there?”

“That would be an understatement.  I’ll fill you in on what I’ve discovered so far on the way back.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So, you think Tatsu is moving with our chuunin hostage, Yuzuki, is it?  That will slow her down.”

Iruka poked at the small fire with a stick, watching sparks fly upward.  They’d made camp in the same spot as Yuzuki’s team and had shared a couple of ration bars while Iruka had explained what he’d found in the cave.  “Yuzuki must be injured at the very least from what Naoki reported.  We have a good chance of catching up to her before she makes it to her destination, wherever that is.”

“Do you think she’ll make for Mist?” Inu asked.  He leaned back against a tree trunk, bending one knee and resting his arm on it.  “It’s a good possibility since Hidden Rock were working with them to take down Fire Country.”

“It’s hard to say, but we have to accept that is a possibility.”  Iruka sighed.  He dropped the stick into the fire, watching as it caught and began to burn.  “I think she’s moving south, aiming in the general direction of the coastline but, after that, I don’t know.  Going to Mist would make sense, although she’s taking a hell of a risk travelling close to Fire Country.”

“And that’s patrolled by Konoha shinobi.  She’s not that stupid, although I almost wish she was; it would make our lives easier,” Inu replied.

Iruka thought for a few moments.  “So, before Tatsu attacked the three chuunin, she’d been either going to make for Frost, or move south through Hot Springs.  Put yourself in her shoes for a moment; she’s got nothing left, nobody to protect her, and a death warrant on her head from Fire Country.  What’s driving her?  If I was her, I would have remained under the radar and disappeared from view.  Something changed her mind.”

“Maybe she happened across our three chuunin by accident and decided to send Konoha a message,” Inu suggested. 

“You may be right, but I suppose it’s pointless to speculate.  We should get some rest before we pick up the trail in the morning.  Do you want first watch or second?”

“I’ll take the second; that way you can get some rest so you’re fresh at first light.  We need your expert eyes if we’re going to find her.”

“Agreed.  Sleep well.”  Iruka stood up, stretched, and took to the trees.  He watched from above as Inu unpacked a bed roll and laid down, turning to face the warmth of the fire.  The air was crisp and fresh, and toward dawn there would be a light frost.  Iruka would have loved to have curled up next to Inu, shared his warmth and breathed in his familiar scent, but instead he was stuck in a tree, feeling the temperature drop by the hour.  Sometimes life just sucked, he thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Iruka picked up Tatsu’s trail the next morning and, together, he and Inu followed it south for the rest of the day.  It was exhausting work; Tatsu was not to be underestimated by any stretch of the imagination and the trail was not an easy one to follow.  She knew how to cover her tracks and was making the most of stealth.  But, every now and again, Iruka would catch sight of a print; Naoki had been correct in that she was favouring her left side, and when she did leave a mark, it was recognizable by the fact that one side of her footprint was etched deeper than the other.  Occasionally, he’d pick up another set of prints; Yuzuki.  These prints were blurred as if the chuunin had stumbled and, more often than not, it was these prints that marked their passage through the forest.  If Yuzuki was captive (and not an accomplice as Iruka half-feared), he was doing his best to leave a decent trail for someone to follow.  This meant he was conscious – at least some of the time.  That was a good thing, because a conscious hostage would do their very best to hinder a captor’s efforts to move quickly. 

As the day wore on, the forest thinned somewhat, giving way to gently sloping ground covered with grass.  Occasionally, the bedrock would poke through the surface of the soil and create shallow basins filled with water.  Spring water would bubble up, and it was these features which gave Hot Springs its name.  Some of the springs were quite noxious, giving off a smell like rotten eggs; the water tinged dull yellow or, in some cases, green or red.  They passed a couple of springs that looked fairly benign and Iruka went by these with a deep longing.  What he wouldn’t give for a nice long soak right about now.

They moved back into the forest, running for hours, Iruka only stopping occasionally to check for prints and to make sure they were still on the correct path.

Tatsu’s trail was now running parallel to a deep gorge, carved by a fast moving river that threaded its way, snakelike, far below them.  Iruka guessed that there weren’t many places to cross the gorge; if she was aiming for the coast, she’d need to cross this.  If he played his cards right, he figured maybe he could guess where she’d attempt it and then they could intercept her before then.

Iruka was careful not to break from the cover of the trees; in places they grew right to the edge of the gorge, in others there was a clean break with meadow grass growing.  He paused, crouching on a branch, and Inu landed silently next to him, searching for any signs of movement near the gorge.  Iruka’s skin felt itchy, as if he could feel something coming.  Any civilian would say that was bullshit, but Iruka had learnt to trust his instincts and they told him he was close to where Tatsu would try to make a break from cover and cross the river.

“What do you think?” Iruka asked.

“Something’s off.”

Iruka glanced at Inu.  His mask was a blank slate, unreadable, but Iruka could feel a subtle tension from him regardless.  “There’s a bridge ahead in the distance. It’s a perfect place for an ambush.”

Inu nodded and Iruka watched as his hand tightened into a fist where it rested against the bark of the tree.  “If I was going to make a stand, I’d do it somewhere like this.”

“Agreed.”  Iruka shifted on the branch.  “No sign of Yuzuki, which means that, if she’s here, she’s probably removed him from the equation somehow.”

“Not permanently, I hope,” Inu muttered. He appeared to be thinking.  “Before we commit, we need to make sure this isn’t a feint and that she’s left a false trail.  We’ll have to move in closer.”  He dropped from the branch, landing silently, and Iruka followed, keeping close on Inu’s heels but staying within the cover of the trees.  Half a mile down the track the road split; one fork running close to the edge of the gorge and the other curving toward the bridge.  Inu waited, keeping watch, while Iruka examined the area, crouching down to run his fingers over the dusty trackway.

“Anything?”

Iruka nodded.  “Faint prints, but not much else.  I recognize Yuzuki’s sandal; the sole has a gouge through the heel, and it shows up quite well providing the tracks aren’t smudged.  They made for the bridge.”  He looked up, staring across the bridge to the other side.  There was a narrow section of yellowing meadow grass before the track continued into more forest, tinged with red and orange leaves that had turned color.

Movement caught his eye, a familiar shape, and Iruka was drawing his black blade and running before he even put conscious thought into it.

“Kurohyou!” Inu’s startled voice was faint behind him, but Iruka was committed and rage bubbled up from inside him as he headed for Tatsu.  She laughed, fueling Iruka’s determination further, and Iruka crossed the bridge, feet pounding out a staccato beat on the planks of wood.  They met in a clash of blades on the other side, Tatsu stumbling backward with the force of Iruka’s blow.  She hopped back a few steps and moved to the side, slashing randomly at Iruka, but not landing a hit.  She was weaker on her left side, that much was obvious, even if you discounted the scarring he could see.  Maybe he could use that to his advantage.

Iruka moved to the left as they fought, trying to get her back to the bridge.  In the distance he could see that Inu had regrouped and summoned Pakkun, and they were moving fast, crossing the gorge, halfway across the bridge.  Tatsu slipped beneath Iruka’s guard while he was distracted, her sword sliding across his arm guard and nicking his upper arm.  As she turned, she formed hand signs, weaving them quickly.  Beneath the mask, Iruka’s eyes widened and he moved to intercept her.

“KAI!” Tatsu shouted triumphantly.

There was an absence of sound, as if all noise had been simply cancelled out, followed by a billow of red and yellow flame.  The bridge exploded, shards of wood flying violently in every direction.  Then came the sound, and a horrific rush of heat, pushed forward by a heavy wind.  Iruka shouted as Inu and Pakkun disappeared beneath the onslaught.  Iruka was thrown backward and he landed heavily, struggling to sit up.  Wood rained down around him in vicious slivers, the occasional broken plank hitting the ground with the force of one of Tsunade’s fists, leaving a divot in the dirt.

Silence reigned.

A bird began to sing, and, to Iruka’s ears, it sounded loud and discordant.  “Inu! Pakkun!”  Iruka struggled to his feet and looked around, trying to see through the clearing smoke.  Tatsu was at the edge of the forest; it was possible she’d used a shunshin to get out of the line of fire.  As the detritus from the explosion settled, Iruka could make out a small body lying a few hundred meters from the bridge.  It twitched, climbed to its feet and then barked; an angry sound.  If Pakkun was barking it was clear he was all right, but probably really pissed off.  As the smoke cleared, Iruka could see Inu on his knees, head thrown back, still clutching his sword.  Iruka felt a rush of relief burn through his system.  _This is my fault_ , he thought angrily.  _If I hadn’t rushed in to engage Tatsu with no thought for my team mate… What does that make me?_

“Kurohyou.”  Inu’s distant voice sounded urgent and snapped Iruka back to the present.  He turned, staggering slightly, just as Tatsu came up behind him

 “You played that perfectly, Kurohyou,” Tatsu said mockingly.  “And you’re just where I want you.”  She reached out a hand, touching him lightly on the shoulder.

Iruka’s world turned white-blue, lightning dancing across his body, burrowing under his skin in a flashing, pyrotechnic display that surrounded him fully, burning through him.  Iruka couldn’t scream; his body was frozen in place, limbs outstretched.  It took all the effort he had not to curl inward, but to force his chakra to channel the lightning outward, along his pathways, through his hands and feet.  He wasn’t a lightning user, so it hurt, a total, excruciating pain.  His mind focused on something that a friend had said once – some stupid discussion they’d all had in the bar one night over drinks – that anyone can channel lightning created by a chakra user, as long as you don’t let it pass through your heart.  That’s the killer, the death sentence, and that was the one thought Iruka clung to until his body gave up, crumpling to the ground as the last of the lightning dissipated.  He was gasping for breath, while his nerves burned with fire and his heart beat like it was going to burst from his chest.

He lay curled on his side, facing out toward the gorge and the remains of the bridge, determined to keep Inu in his sights.  It was a lifeline he clung to and he watched as Inu stood at the edge of the divide, his body rigid with shock, like an exclamation mark, Iruka thought, a punctuation on the dangers of their job and what a simple, idiot mistake can cost someone.

 _I made an error_ , Iruka thought, trying to pull deep lungsful of air into his body, to wish the pain away.  _I made a mistake and Pakkun and Inu almost lost their lives over it, and now…_   Now he was lying there, body shaking with fine tremors and his brain fighting to stay clear, to assess the situation.  Even trying to get two brain cells together to cooperate was a trial, let alone trying to find his sword or use a jutsu.

_I’m a dead man already, just waiting to die._

Footsteps crunched through the charred grass behind him, and Iruka felt a shadow over his shoulder.  Tatsu stepped around him, effectively blocking his view of Inu.  He tried to lever himself up, forcing his hands beneath him, to try to take his weight.  Tatsu put a foot on his shoulder and pressed down firmly, just enough to make him wince.  “Stay down, like a good boy,” she said conversationally, “and the next part won’t hurt too much.”

He watched as she pulled her sword, angling the tip under Iruka’s chin, just beneath the edge of his mask.  He winced as the point bit into his skin, no doubt drawing blood by the warm trickle of liquid he could feel running down his neck and under his shirt.  The point of the blade paused for a moment, as if she was thinking, deciding on a course of action, and then she abruptly withdrew it.

“I like the color of your blood, Kurohyou, but I think I’ll admire it elsewhere.  I need you alive, for now.”  She reached down and grabbed him by the vest, hauling him partly upright, turning so she could face Inu.  Iruka scrambled for coordination, his nerves and muscles still shot from the burst of lightning.  Inu was still watching him, unmoving, his entire body tense, as if one wrong move would be the end of things.  He was waiting, watching Tatsu for a clue as to her next move.  Inu was one of the most intelligent people he knew, and Iruka knew that, despite his mistakes so far, Inu was not likely to make the same ones.

“I’ve got my prize,” Tatsu called out to Inu, her voice carrying across the gorge, travelling on the breeze.  “He’s going to make a better hostage than the one I had; don’t you think?”

Inu refused to reply, but Pakkun let out a growl that was somehow comforting to Iruka.

“I hid your other chuunin in the forest, a few miles to the south of where you are now. Unfortunately for him, I estimate he’s got about half an hour to live ‘til the poison I gave him kills him outright.  I hope you’ve got an antidote handy against the Rock Viper; it’s an excruciating way to die.  I hear the convulsions are so bad toward the end that a person tends to break their back as they struggle to breathe.”  She shrugged.  “You might find him before then, but we’ll see, won’t we?”

“Bitch,” Iruka managed to croak out the word, but not before Tatsu kicked him none-too- gently back down to the ground with a well-placed foot to the back of his leg, which gave out abruptly, dropping him to his knees in the grass.  He watched as Inu and Pakkun seemed to have an intense discussion.  Inu slashed his hand to the side, but not before Pakkun moved in and pulled at Inu’s ankle-wrappings.  The message was clear; Tatsu had a new hostage, which meant she was going to keep Iruka alive for the time being.  Yuzuki was now expendable and he had to be saved if at all possible.  Inu’s course of action was obvious.

Tatsu laughed quietly as Inu gave Iruka a last, long, look, and then he moved off rapidly along the edge of the gorge, heading south at a fast run.  Pakkun led the way, nose to the ground, trying to pick up Yuzuki’s trail.

Iruka knew he was not being abandoned, but he still felt a distinct longing as he watched Inu leave.  He knelt, unmoving, as Tatsu set about binding his wrists behind his back and dragging him back to his feet.  She was talking, but Iruka wasn’t listening.  This was a situation of his own making, and it could very well get both him and Inu killed. His body protested as he was manhandled to his feet and he spent precious moments trying to adapt as his body attempted to acclimatize to being upright for longer than a few seconds.  Tatsu had stopped talking now; she was humming some kind of familiar tune but, to Iruka’s ears, it was out of time, a little too fast for the beat. 

He was unprepared for the shunshin when it happened; it was a violent displacement, proving that Tatsu was far from used to performing it with two people.  Iruka could only go with the flow; as of this moment, he was far from able to react.  He stumbled when they landed, managing to keep to his feet this time, although his balance was dodgy.  He stared at Tatsu, who was examining him with interest.  She moved behind him and adjusted the bindings so that he was unable to form seals, making sure to keep his hands apart by the simple expedience of tying his wrists to his opposite forearm close to his elbows.  Iruka grimaced; the pull on his shoulders was immediate and uncomfortable, just teetering on the edge of pain.  Once she seemed happy with her work, she looped another thin rope around his neck, keeping hold of one end.  “I’ve never had a cat on a leash,” she said with a grin, “but there’s a first for everything.”  She tugged hard on the rope and began walking, leaving Iruka no choice but to follow or risk strangulation.  “We’ve got a long walk, Kurohyou.  While Inu is rescuing that waste-of-space chuunin and then figuring out how to get across the gorge, we’ll be long gone.”

“He can track you; you know that,” Iruka bit out.

“Of course he can.”  She shrugged.  “However, he’s going to have to take the long away around once he’s buried that chuunin, and then find another bridge since I destroyed this one.  Then, he’ll have to come all the way back to pick up our trail.  The shunshin should also confuse him; he’ll be at least a day, if not more, behind us even if he’s moving at ANBU speeds.  Good for me as I have a date with a couple of nin shortly.”

 _Shit_.  Iruka had feared that Tatsu had some kind of game plan; he hadn’t thought she’d have recruited company.  _This doesn’t bode well for either me or Inu_ , he thought.  _Right now I need to play along, play hurt.  I need time for my body to heal from that lightning jutsu so that, when Inu shows up, I can provide decent backup._

“Keep moving, Kurohyou.”  Tatsu tugged violently on the rope.  “We have a deadline.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So, how did you do it?” 

“Do what?”  Iruka was standing on the shoreline, watching the waves crest against the sandy beach.  Most of Hot Springs was fronted by towering cliffs, so Iruka was surprised to find Tatsu had led them unerringly toward what appeared to be the only inlet on the coast.  There were signs of an old campfire and a couple of bleached looking tree trunks, roughly moved into a circle around the fire.  Iruka reckoned it would be a good place for smugglers to hide out, hidden in a naturally-formed, sheltered harbour.  The campfire suggested his theory was correct.

“How did you survive my lightning jutsu?”  Tatsu turned to face Iruka, a curious look on her face.

Iruka huffed out a laugh, but it was hard work.  A day later, his nerves still tingled, as if he could still feel the lightning running through his body.  The mild concussion from the explosion had worn off during the long hours they’d walked, but he still felt lightheaded, a dull ache at the base of his skull.  “Why should I tell you that?”

“Eh, no matter. I didn’t hit you full force with it, anyway.  I toyed with the idea of killing you outright, just to see the look on Inu’s face, but I decided that you’re worth more to me alive at the moment.  You’re my meal ticket to safety.”  She looked him up and down and narrowed her eyes.  “That doesn’t mean I won’t kill you if you take a step out of turn.”

“Noted,” Iruka drawled.

The sun hung low on the horizon, close to the waves, and it was almost full dark by the time a light appeared, seemingly bobbing with the movement of the sea.  As the light moved closer it became apparent that it was a wooden dinghy, and that the light was a lantern fixed to the front prow to light the way.  Smugglers, indeed.  Tatsu must have been busy during the time since she’d murdered Naoki and sent the body back.  Iruka had assumed she’d been running blind, attempting to escape what she must have realized would be swift justice from Konoha in the form of a hunter-nin. 

Now he wasn’t so sure.  “You planned this.” He spoke, giving voice to the realization.

Tatsu must be feeling magnanimous, or just smug, because she answered, “It took you long enough to figure that out, Kurohyou.”

The boat moved closer, and now Iruka could see two figures seated inside, one rowing, angling the dinghy to the shore, the other at the prow near the lantern.  Iruka didn’t have much time if he planned to do something.  He needed to keep Tatsu occupied while he assessed the risks and decided on a course of action.

“You didn’t come across the chuunin team randomly, did you?”

Tatsu shook her head, glancing at him quickly.  “No.  I could have melted quietly into the background, let Konoha – and you – think I died in Kyassuru Gai.  I could have gone to Sound, or Rain, or any number of places that harbor distrust toward Fire Country.  No… I wanted revenge.”  The wind whipped at her hair and she brushed it impatiently to the side.  “I wanted… I _want_ Inu to suffer.  I want you to suffer.  So I waited until that little band of losers showed up, and I took them down.  I carved up their team mate; I made sure it took a _long_ time.  He screamed like a baby right up until I drew my sword across his throat so he couldn’t make any more noise.”

Iruka moved, forgetting for a moment that he was bound.  Tatsu pulled her sword, arcing it swiftly until it was under Iruka’s chin, the threat very present.  “What did I tell you, Kurohyou?  Stop being a fucking hero.” 

Iruka swallowed and took a step backward.  He would bide his time; two men in the boat and Tatsu – the odds were steep but not insurmountable.  If he could get free, he could do a lot of damage before they subdued him. 

Tatsu waited a few moments, sword at the ready, and when it was clear that Iruka was not going to make a further play, she sheathed the blade.  “So yes, I planned this.  I knew Konoha would send you out and that Inu would come trotting along like a good dog after you.  I knew I had to split you up; I was going to kill you, use Inu to buy my ticket into Water Country.  Then you crossed that bridge, and I realized this works out even better; Inu will come after you, and I will be able to provide Hidden Mist with two bargaining chips instead of one.” She grinned.  “I should thank you for that idiotic stunt on the bridge.”

Iruka felt his rage building, but he forced it down; he didn’t need a reminder of his own stupidity.  Instead, he twisted his hands behind his back, seeing if he could loosen the bindings, but Tatsu had done too good of a job.  He cursed internally.

The boat crested the beach and a man wearing a bandana jumped out and grabbed hold of the prow, pulling the dinghy onto the shore.  Waves lapped against the wooden hull and the boat rocked, but didn’t move.  The other man, the one at the oars, remained where he was, nonchalantly pulling out a pipe and lighting it.  Beaching a boat was obviously a normal thing for these two.  Iruka wondered if there was a larger ship, out of sight at sea, that this boat belonged to.

Bandana sloshed his way through the surf to the beach and strode to meet Tatsu.  “You have the money as agreed?”

Tatsu nodded, reaching into her pack and pulling out a small bag which clinked.  “The agreed-upon price.  Check it if you want.”

Iruka watched as Bandana counted out the coins, nodding approval.  Iruka sized him up; he was strong, well-muscled, and had probably eaten recently and had _not_ been half-killed by a lightning jutsu, unlike himself.  This was probably not going to be a fun fight, he thought.

Bandana stowed the coin purse and jerked his head toward Iruka.  “He’s going to be trouble.”

Tatsu laughed.  “Oh, I know he is.  I’ve got a fix for that, though.”

“Short of breaking both his legs, I don’t think you’re going to keep him quiet.  He’s ANBU.”

Tatsu reached into another pack and Iruka tensed, sensing that things were about to get nasty.  He was expecting her to pull a small blade, not a senbon.  She jerked her wrist, moving with an efficiency only born by a trained ANBU, and Iruka dodged to the side automatically.  He’d forgotten for a split second that she had him on the rope leash, although it was let out to a long length.  As Tatsu threw the senbon, she jerked him forward, counteracting his movement.  Iruka felt the tiny prick of the needle as it punctured the skin on his thigh and his leg gave out immediately, followed by an extreme lethargy that crept through his entire body as he fell to his knees _.  Knock-out juice,_ he thought.  His vision began to dim quickly, and sound became muffled, the waves no longer a roar but rather a heavily blanketed rumble in the background.  Tatsu and Bandana continued to watch him with interest as his vision tunneled down to a point of white light.

He had enough time to think, _fuck, I screwed up again_ , before he passed out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well guys, we're getting close to the end :( I figure there's another chapter after this one, maybe two if it ends up being too long and I can find a good pace to break up the action. There are of course going to be some loose ends I have to sort out. 
> 
> Enjoy!!! <3  
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka regained consciousness gradually.  He didn’t move, nor open his eyes, not wanting to alert anyone to the fact that he was awake.  The air smelt briny and was uncomfortably cool, and he could hear waves close by, so they were on a shore rather than a boat, he figured.  His body was a mass of aches, probably a hold-over from whatever Tatsu had hit him with to knock him out.  He was kneeling, his back pressed against a wooden post as far as he could tell, hands tied above his head and wrists crossed over each other to prevent him from using jutsu.  He twitched his fingers, checking for injury, and was answered with a sharp and painful pricking sensation around his wrists.  Iruka took a quick breath at the sudden discomfort and stopped moving rather than looking upward; that would give the game away and take away his advantage.  Instead, he focused on what else he could note given he had his eyes shut.  The familiar weight of his porcelain mask was missing, but he still had the cloth one to obscure his face.  His arm guards and gloves were gone for some reason, along with his shoes, and he could feel cold water lapping uncomfortably at his knees and thighs. For a moment, panic overwhelmed him until he realized the water wasn’t rising any higher, and he took a couple of shallow breaths, calming himself.  A seagull shrieked above his head, and a bitter wind crawled across his skin, making him shiver.  He heard someone moving toward him, and then the sound of water, followed by a sharp, unexpected, slap across his face.

“Stop pretending, Kurohyou.  I’ve been watching you for a good hour, waiting for you to wake up.”

Iruka raised his head, opened his eyes, and glared at Tatsu.  She was crouched in front of him, on the surface of the water, obviously using chakra so she wouldn’t get her feet wet.

“My, that’s a fierce look,” she said approvingly.  “Now we seem to be getting somewhere.  I thought I’d lost the hunter-nin who nearly killed me in Rock, and that he’d been replaced by a little harmless kitty.”

“I _am_ going to kill you when I get free,” he offered in rebuttal.  “Don’t doubt that for a moment.”

Tatsu tutted.  “You’re going to do yourself a lot of damage if you try to break out of these bindings, Kurohyou.  I made them ‘specially for you, since I only had enough rope to bind your wrists together.  I needed to anchor you to the post, so I used something a little more interesting.”

Now Iruka glanced upward, over his head, eyes widening in shock at what he saw.  This explained the sharp pricks of pain against his skin; the bitch had found some barbed wire, and had bound his wrists to a hook in the post with it.  The wire wrapped not only around his wrists but also around the post, and every time he moved, the hooks dug into his skin.  He could see that, while he’d been drugged and unconscious, his weight had dragged him downward a little, and his forearms were covered with punctures and scrapes of blood, some of which had trickled down his arms and then dried.  “You’re a fucking sadist,” he spat.

“I’m a realist.  Every ninja has some sort of escape-jutsu handy.  Call the barbed wire a… _deterrent_.  I can’t have my bargaining chip slipping free randomly and possibly escaping.  Not that you could really get far.”

“What the fuck did you knock me out with?” he asked hoarsely.

“A little cocktail designed to keep you out for quite a while. It’s a Hidden Rock specialty.  Not to worry though; the effects will wear off eventually.”

Tatsu reached into her backpack and Iruka tensed.  She laughed at his reaction, pulling out a ration bar and peeling the wrapper away.  She moved toward him, and Iruka jerked backward, unsure of her intent.  Instantly, the barbs scraped into his bruised arms and he bit back a curse, pain drawing jagged lines in his skin.  He froze, watching as she moved her hand again, reaching for his mask.

“What are you doing?” he spat out.

“Do you want to starve to death?” she asked.  “That won’t make a pretty picture when I present you to my comrades.”

Iruka weighed his options.  He wasn’t sure how long he’d been knocked out for, and he hadn’t eaten the day before because they’d been walking to the coast.  It could have been two days since he’d had food, and he needed to stay strong to fight back.  Weighing that need against the need to keep his identity secret, he came to one inescapable conclusion.  Reluctantly, Iruka forced his body to relax and, taking that as a cue, Tatsu moved closer again.  Her fingers curled around the edge of his cloth mask, and she pulled it down.  Angrily, Iruka made eye contact with her.

“Well, well, that’s a surprise,” she said, amazement and a hint of glee coloring her voice.  “Umino Iruka, chuunin sensei.  I would never have guessed.  Clearly you’ve been keeping most of your ninja talents hidden from the village, but I suppose that’s the point isn’t it? Nobody would suspect a teacher of genin to be one of the village’s most feared shinobi.”

“Fuck off.”

“I think someone else has a start on that,” she replied dryly.  She broke off the top of the bar and held out her hand, close enough that Iruka could lean forward.  He shoved his pride to the side and accepted that she was going to sit there and feed him.  _I need the energy_ , he reminded himself.  _Stay cool and nobody is ever going to know this happened_.

Once she’d fed him the ration bar, she pulled out a flask of water and let him drink from that.  He took long swallows, only now realizing how parched his throat was, and how much he needed the water.  When he was done, she pulled his mask back up.  He still managed an impressive glare rather than a thank you.

“Sorry I can’t let you out of the water,” she said, sounding far from it.  “The tide came in; I guess they’re stronger this close to winter.”

“Where are we?” Iruka turned his head, glancing to the side, careful not to tug on his arms.

“We’re on one of the little islands close to Water Country.  I told you before; I have a meeting with like-minded individuals.  This is where we arranged to meet.”  Tatsu stood up; on the surface of the water, she towered over him.  “The tide will go out soon, and you’ll dry off.  Until then you’re going to have to deal with it.  The post was here before we arrived; I just utilized it, so you can stop scowling at me.  Blame the fishermen who use this camp in the summer months for your current predicament.”  She crumpled up the wrapper from the ration bar and released it.  Iruka watched as it caught the wind, floating on the breeze before skimming the water and finally being lost to sight. 

He watched as she walked away, still favouring her left side a little, before she crossed the sand and crested the incline back to the grass that covered this part of the island.  She had a small fire burning, and Iruka longed for the warmth he knew it gave off.  Sitting there in shallow, cold water was miserable, but he’d be damned if he’d let her see him shiver.  Instead, he let his gaze wander, trying to map the lay of the land.  She’d tied him to the post with his back to the sea, so he was facing inland.  He couldn’t see much of the island, so couldn’t gauge how large it was.  This area of the beach was pretty exposed, hence the chill wind, but was probably pleasant in summer, which was why the fisherman used it as a camp.  Long scrubby grass grew in tufts close to the water, and dunes as tall as a man rose up behind where Tatsu had set up her fire.  Behind the dunes, the land probably sloped downward to pasture and meadow grass but, until he was free, he couldn’t be sure.  He’d have to hope the island had cover enough to hide him when he made a bid for escape.  Until then… he had to work on the problem of how to get out of the barbed wire.  Any attempt to jerk his arms free would cause major lacerations, and if the wire was rusted, infection could set in if he didn’t have quick access to healing or medication. 

Iruka passed the rest of the day watching Tatsu.  She whistled as she moved around; probably knowing the sound was annoying and doing it on purpose.  The tide receded eventually, and Iruka had to be content with his sopping wet pants drying out slowly, the salt making his skin itch unpleasantly.  Every now and again he’d shift and move, trying to keep his muscles from seizing, all the while trying not to jar his arms.  This sucked.

The tide came in again and Iruka spent a cold night in the water, praying the moon wasn’t full enough to cause a high tide.  Drowning while chained to a post was not the way he had in mind for dying, he decided.  Fortunately, it crested when it reached his navel, before slowly starting to subside.  Iruka relaxed a little, let himself doze, part of his exhausted mind awake against any threat, the other part drifting as it would, his thoughts jumbling and sliding.  Eventually, toward dawn, he slept.

Tatsu fed him again the next morning in the same fashion, seeming to enjoy the fact he was at her mercy and would have to take food like an animal.  No doubt it gave her a feeling of power over him, although he noticed she seemed nervous.  Maybe she was expecting her ‘comrades’; although Iruka suspected they were not as chummy as she made out.  She was unsure and her movements were jerky and impatient, and he earned himself another sharp slap across the face for some imagined slight.  Iruka laughed to himself; another welt, another mark, and another thing he would pay her back twofold for when he got free.

Time passed slowly; clouds moved in, almost obscuring the sun, and it rained, a sudden cold shower where the drops felt like little cold bullets.  The rain stopped as quickly as it had started, leaving a misty haze behind, the sun a blurred, weak light behind the thinning cloud cover.

Iruka reckoned it was close to late-morning when he heard voices from further along the shoreline.  He shifted slightly so he could see better.  Coming toward him was a group of four nin in Hidden Mist uniforms, armed to the hilt.  _Fucking great_ , Iruka thought.  _The party starts now.  This could be very unpleasant_.

He wondered where they had come from; maybe they had landed a boat further up the beach, past the headland?  Or perhaps they were close enough to one of the larger islands that made up Water Country, and had travelled across the water using chakra like he and Inu had done?  It was possible that, if he could get free, he might be able to leave the same way.

The group paused a distance from the campfire, sizing up the situation.  One nin in particular, a tall, sturdily built individual with waist-length red hair, stepped forward.  The other three hung back; clearly Red was their leader.  It was also apparent to Iruka that they moved comfortably as a team, meaning they were an established squad and not to be taken lightly or underestimated.

“You are the one they call Tatsu?” Red called out.

Tatsu rose from the fire and sauntered toward them, but didn’t fully engage.  Both sides were wary of each other; still ready to go for weapons if it seemed to be a trap.  “I am.  You got my message, then.”

“We did.  You said you required safe passage to Hidden Mist and had bought the Mizukage a gift.”  Red looked curiously toward Iruka, and the rest of the team followed suit.  “You said you were bringing us the ANBU known as Inu.  _That_ ,” he pointed at Iruka, “is not Konoha’s Hound.”

“There was a change of plans,” Tatsu explained.  She sounded just a little bit strained, Iruka noted, and not as confident as she’d made out earlier.  “Inu will come for this man, I swear it.  You’ll get what you want eventually. Meantime, he’ll have to do.”

“Who is this person?” Red asked.  “Why would you think I need another Konoha nin?”

“That is Kurohyou, the Black Panther.”

“He looks half-drowned right about now,” drawled one of the other nin.  “Not very impressive.”

Red smiled, and then it cut off abruptly, his amusement fleeting.  “Kurohyou is well known as _Oinin Butai_ ; they are off-limits to all countries, and he is inviolate, free to come and go in any Country.  This is the way of the Hunter-nin; you know this as well as I do.”  Red paced toward Iruka, stopping where the grass met the beach.  “He is useless to us.”

Tatsu took a step forward.  “Then wait for Inu to arrive.”

Red smirked.  “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Tatsu, but there’s been a change of plans.”

_Oh shit_ , Iruka thought, _this is where things really start to get nasty_.  He tensed, gently flexing his arms to keep the circulation going.  This was going to devolve into a fight any second, and he did not want to be the one cut down while still tied to a fucking post.

“What change of plans?” Tatsu’s voice rose; carried across the wind, it sounded almost desperate.

“There’s been an… _adjustment_ of leadership in Hidden Mist.  The new Mizukage has decided that your offer is unacceptable.  You will not be permitted entry into Mist, and she rejects your offer of the ANBU Inu, preferring not to provoke Konoha for the time being.  The Mizukage feels that it would be best if Water Country looks inward to its own policies, as is withdrawing contact with the other Countries until further notice.”

“You cannot do this,” Tatsu snarled.  “Do you have any idea what I had to go through to get here – to get this _bastard_ ,” she pointed at Iruka, “here? Where am I supposed to go now? Mist is Hidden Rock’s ally!”

Red crossed his arms, and the three men behind him shifted, taking a combat ready stance.  “I have told you, we are no longer your allies.  The alliance we had with Rock has dissolved; the plan failed.  You do not represent Hidden Rock, and Hattori Rikuto is dead.”  He slashed a hand to the side, punctuating his words with a sharp gesture.  “You are nothing.  Return to the mainland and disappear as best you can, Tatsu.  You are not welcome in Water Country.”

Iruka raised an eyebrow.  Now _that_ was really unexpected.  Thoughts jumbled in his head as he tried to make sense of things.  What had happened to the previous Mizukage? Iruka tried to remember his name – Yagura, that was it.  He was young, from what Iruka remembered, and it was hard to believe he would have abdicated voluntarily.  This was something Konoha needed to know about. 

Shouts brought Iruka back to the present.  Tatsu had her sword drawn, as did Red’s three teammates.  Red himself looked spectacularly unimpressed and, despite having a sword pointed inches from his face, he waved his squad back with an impatient gesture.  “We’ll be leaving,” he said to Tatsu.  “Make sure you have vacated this island in two days.  Rest assured someone will be by to check, and to deal with the situation if that is not the case.”  He looked at Iruka.  “I would suggest you let Kurohyou go.  I do not want to have report to the new Mizukage that we have allowed a member of the _Oinin Butai_ to be murdered on our soil.  It would be an… _inconvenience_ , politically speaking.”  He turned on his heel and began walking back along the shoreline, eventually rounding the edge of the bay and disappearing from view, his squad following behind.

For a brief moment, Iruka had hoped Red would press for his release immediately, but it was clear Mist were not going to interfere where they didn’t have to.  Red was mistaken if he thought he understood Tatsu.  He did not grasp her desperation; the vast scope of her plans and how badly they had fallen apart.  Tatsu let out a harsh shout, threw her sword violently across the campsite, and turned toward Iruka.  Iruka felt her focus on him like it was a physical blow and he knew this wasn’t going to go well.  She strode toward him and, as she got closer, she pulled out a short blade, twisting it in her hand.  Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the dagger and Iruka tensed, waiting for the killing blow.  Instead, she grabbed him by his loose hair, jerking his head painfully to the side, and crouched down on the wet sand.  He felt the blade against his exposed throat as it bit into his skin just below his cloth mask.  She leaned forward until she was inches away, so close he could almost feel her breath.  She was crazed, beyond reason. 

“I am going to carve you up, Kurohyou,” she hissed.  “I am going to enjoy every minute of it.  I’m sure you tracked my movements in the forest and that you saw what I did to that chuunin.  You’ve got a good imagination, but let me tell you something: that was _nothing_ to what I’m going to do to you.”  She reached up, grabbed him just below where the barbed wire lay across his wrist, and drew the knife slowly down his forearm, right to the elbow.  Iruka bit back the sound he wanted to make, and sweat broke out on his forehead and between his shoulder blades. The pain was excruciating and he felt his survival instincts kick in; the adrenaline surge through his veins as his body tensed tight as a bow against his bindings.  She continued to press the tip of the blade in, drawing blood, but avoiding any arteries.

_All I have to do is stay alive long enough for Inu to track me down_ , he thought, gritting his teeth.  _I can do that much; I know how to survive_.

“Pay attention!” she snapped, removing the knife and following up immediately with a hard right hook to his jaw.

Iruka’s head snapped to the side with the force of the blow, but he refused to react; to say anything.  He stared her down, dared her to continue.

Tatsu was panting with rage; he could see her struggling to find control.  She had his death written in her gaze, but he kept eye contact despite her ferocity.  She snarled and turned away, marching back up the rise of the beach to the campfire.  “Fuck!” she shouted.

Iruka waited until she disappeared over the dunes and then slumped – as much as he could in the wire, anyway – and let the horror of his brush with death wash over him.  She would come back, he knew that.  Once she’d gotten herself and her rage under control, she’d be back to finish what she started, but this time with a clear head.  She’d carve him up, scoring line after bloody line into his body until he looked like a barely-living version of Akiba Naoki’s corpse.  _Then_ , if he was lucky, she’d finally kill him.  It was pointless to expect that she’d heed the warning given by the Mist nin.  She’d do her dirty work here and leave his corpse as a gift – although not the one Hidden Mist had original bargained for.

Minutes passed, and there was no sign of Tatsu.  A seagull wheeled overhead, its cry jarring and lonely.  The weak sunlight seemed to dim further and Iruka glanced upward, expecting more rain.  A thin mist began to creep past him, and he angled himself to the side and twisted, gritting his teeth as the barbs cut and dragged against the tender skin of his wrists. The fresh wound on his forearm throbbed and stung.  Twisting a little more, he was able to see to one side, just behind him.  A bank of low-lying, white mist curled over the surface of the water and, for a moment, Iruka couldn’t figure out what he was seeing or why.  Finally, the pain in his wrists was too much and he had to return to his previous position.  The spot between his shoulder blades itched and he suddenly felt extremely exposed, as if instinct told him there was something behind him, even if he couldn’t see it.  He watched as tendrils of fog curled past his legs, caressing the sand.

There was a sudden _thunking_ noise and Iruka felt the barbed wire give suddenly, as if it had been cut, but it did not release fully.  Iruka tensed but still couldn’t see anything.  That meant someone was definitely behind him, close enough to send a sharp projectile his way to cut the wire.

_Inu_?  _No_ , he thought.  _One of the mist nin_.  Red must have decided to send someone back to give Iruka assistance; for whatever reason, he didn’t want to show his hand.  That explained the mist; no doubt one of the nin had doubled back across the water using it as a cover.  Iruka didn’t kid himself that he could expect the Mist nin to help out further; this was going to be his own fight, his own problem.

Iruka grinned and flexed his fingers and wrists.  The barbs pinched a little, but did not cut into his skin like before.  He began rotating his wrists, trying to get feeling back into his hands, all the while keeping an eye out for Tatsu’s return.  He ignored the stinging pain in his forearm and the dull ache in his jaw, and hoped he had enough time to prepare for what was clearly going to be a fight to the bitter end. 

Gingerly, he began to tug his wrists, feeling the wire part eventually and release.  He ignored the new scrapes he got pulling his fingers free, and then he crawled around to the other side of the post.  He risked standing up, then wished he hadn’t as his legs buckled beneath him, dropping him back to the floor.  _Stupid, stupid,_ he thought.  _I’ve been tied to this post for at least a day, if not longer._   His thigh muscles trembled as he tried again, this time holding onto the post with his bound hands.  Once he could reach the oddly shaped shuriken – that explained what had cut through the wire – he quickly placed the rope against one of the blades that stuck out and sawed through the rope.  Blood rushed back into his hands and fingers, making them tingle.  He worked through that with desperation, shaking his now unbound hands to get them functional, then he pulled out the shuriken and dropped back to the ground.  At least he was armed with something at last, and no longer at the mercy of Tatsu.

The next thing he did was attempt to at least partly heal the long cut she’d made in his forearm.  Everything else could wait; this was a serious wound and he needed to take care of it.  He’d just finished closing it up enough so that it would stop bleeding when he heard a shout from somewhere up beyond the sand dunes.

He risked a glance around the post.  Tatsu stood outlined against the top of the dune, sword in hand, watching him.  It was pointless stalling any longer, Iruka decided.  He gripped the shuriken in his palm and starting moving toward Tatsu.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tatsu watched him as he crossed the beach and began to climb up the dunes, past the campfire.  She was motionless, watching him silently, a cruel grin on her face.  Iruka let her watch; let her anticipate his demise.  She was wrong if she thought this would be an easy fight.

“Are you going to kill me with that little shuriken, Kurohyou?” she taunted.

“I’m sure I can get the job done with this,” Iruka said. “I’m not in the habit of slicing people up for fun.”

She laughed; a manic, chill sound.  “I’ll just have to carve you up on the run, then.  It’ll be more entertaining that way.  I like someone with a little bit of fight left in them. I can see why Inu sniffs around you.”

Iruka ignored the comment, chalking it up to pointless bravado on her part.  As he crested the sand dunes, Tatsu turned and disappeared from sight.  Iruka swore, hoping she wasn’t hiding just on the other side.  Of course the alternative was just as bad; she already knew the lay of the island and could have rushed for more opportune cover. 

_No sight of her.  Shit_ , he thought.  He quickly glanced around, crouching down, using the scrub grass as cover.  The view was surprising.  The sand dunes gave way abruptly, the land falling away to the distance where a small lake sat nestled, as if in a bowl.  In the middle of the lake was an island, and on the far side was a range of jagged cliffs, their tops shrouded in mist, sheer sides covered with trees and greenery.  It took Iruka only seconds to process what he was looking at; the remains of an ancient volcano. From where he had been captive on the beach, he’d not been able to see the cliffs, blocked by both the dunes and line of sight.  If he’d had more time he would have been impressed.

He slid down the side of the dunes, sand giving way to short grass, and wished there was more cover.  There was a large stand of thick bamboo further along the slope, but he wouldn’t have time to reach it.  He felt a sudden rush of movement and threw himself to the side, aiming and throwing the shuriken.  His arm protested the quick movement, but he ignored that.  Tatsu body-flickered into the space next to him, sweeping her sword toward him.  The shuriken hit its mark, embedding itself in her thigh, but she flicked it away, swatting at it like a fly.  Iruka ducked and rolled, narrowly missing the blade, and brought his leg around in a wide sweep which Tatsu dodged by jumping, landing out of reach.  Slowly Iruka climbed to his feet and faced Tatsu.

“You’re at a distinct disadvantage,” she said with a grin.  “Now you’re unarmed.”

Iruka forced a laugh he didn’t feel.  “Since when has being weaponless ever stopped a shinobi from completing a mission?”

Tatsu let out a roar and rushed forward, heedless of safety, and Iruka stood his ground, prepared to meet her blow for blow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Iruka rested against one of the giant bamboo stems, panting.  He’d finally managed to find cover amongst the bamboo, but he’d paid for it in spades.  He held one hand across his stomach, just above his naval, feeling the wet warmth of seeping blood; when he held up his palm, it was stained red.  Not enough to slow him down, but enough to hurt; a sharp pinch of pain every time he moved.  That was from a particularly violent swing of Tatsu’s sword; she’d yelled something about the Nine Cuts as she’d done it.  At least she was sticking to her word; although Iruka wasn’t particularly fond of the idea of being carved up piece by piece.  Still, he’d learnt his lesson: he wouldn’t let her get that close again.  He called up healing chakra and knitted the cut together just enough to stop it from bleeding.  He didn’t want to expend any more chakra than he had to.  What he _did_ need was a weapon, but Tatsu currently had the only sword on the island since his was still no doubt lying by the bridge in Hot Springs.

He was going to have to do this with jutsu, and stop trying to take her down with taijutsu as he’d originally planned.  She’d also emptied his pouches, so he had no exploding tags or any smoke bombs.  He needed to get to the lake, he decided.  Water was his element, so he’d use less chakra per jutsu than, say, utilizing a fire jutsu.

He glanced out of the copse.  He heard rustling from behind him and spun around, narrowly missing a couple of kunai she’d thrown at his head.  Instead, the knives sunk into the bamboo, just at shoulder height.  _Thank the gods_ , he thought, plucking both kunai free, twirling them in his hands and testing their weight.  Not bad; the left one was a bit heavy on the handle end, but he could deal with that.  A slightly off-balance kunai was nothing compared to the piece-of-crap knives they used as practice weapons at the Academy.

Ignoring his own advice, he formed seals for a fire jutsu and released it, finessing it so that it became a tight band of fire, snaking into the bamboo.  Some of it caught as he’d hoped and he heard a shriek of pain, or maybe surprise.  Iruka wasted no time, using a shunshin to get clear of the bamboo stand and to get as close as he could to the water, sprinting in an effort to make it. 

Relief rushed through him when his feet touched the water, and he slid to the side to slow his momentum, hands in the first sign for a water wall, waiting.  Tatsu was moments behind him; she’d managed to avoid most of the fire, apparently, but looked murderous.  Iruka didn’t waste words. He completed the seal and knelt down, pushing the water with both hands toward Tatsu, who countered with a wave of her own.  Both waves met in the middle with a rush and a giant roar of water that rose into a peak, before it turned on itself and collapsed back into the lake.  Iruka turned and ran, getting as far out onto the water as he could, pushing chakra through the soles of his bare feet, gathering it below the surface.  Droplets rained down heavily over him, the remains of the tempest where the two jutsu had met.  He shook his head to clear the water, reading for Tatsu’s next move.  It was time to stop running and end this.

He didn’t have to wait long for the next volley of jutsu; Tatsu rapidly formed seals and Iruka watched as three large blocks of mud rose from beneath the surface.  She pushed and one after the other sped toward him.  Iruka wove to avoid, still gathering chakra under the surface.  He’d discovered in training that the larger the concentration of chakra, the easier it was to control the rope bindings.  As he dodged the earth blocks, Iruka fired off a volley of water bullets; his first volley shredded the nearest mud block and his second volley almost reached Tatsu, the leading edge grazing her shoulder and side.  From here he could see the trickles of blood, mixing with water and lazily snaking down her arm in pink rivulets.  Tatsu was tough; he could see he’d hurt her, but she shook the pain off, refusing to acknowledge the injury. 

Not wanting to wait for her next move, Iruka moved in, closing fast.  He let off a couple of fire jutsu, knowing her water nature would be stronger, but it was worth a try.  They moved in a whirling ballet of jutsu, Iruka fully aware that every chakra nature he had was weak against the elements she commanded.  He had never before been at such a disadvantage, and added to that, she was ANBU.  He was damned if he was going down, though.  There was always a way around even the most unsurmountable odds.

He moved to avoid two bands of fire she sent shooting across the surface of the water, countering with another wave in return.  It was time; he reached deep underwater and pulled his chakra together, knitting it into a solid mass as he formed hand signs.  “ _Suiton: Hojoujutsu!”_ he shouted _,_ watching in satisfaction as ropes of water erupted from the surface, wrapping around her ankles, waist and one wrist.  She moved quickly, and Iruka cursed, having failed to secure the other arm.  He lifted her clear of the water, twisting the ropes tighter, hearing her cry out in frustration and, no doubt, just a little pain.  Lightning erupted from her free hand, forming a solid glove of stuttering electricity, which she slammed, open-handed, down onto one of the ropes.  He felt the water give a little and pulled tighter, wrestling for control of his prey.  Another burst of lightning and the rope parted, unravelling in a splash of water, and Iruka dropped to one knee, panting.  He was rapidly draining his chakra, and he glanced at the fuinjutsu tattoo on his arm.  He’d have to release the water ropes in order to activate the seal.  _Dammit_ , he thought.  _Although maybe I can work this to my advantage_.

Mist was trickling toward the shore as the sun started to work its way toward the horizon, and Iruka was shocked to realize how long they’d been battling.  But the mist gave him an idea, and he grinned.  He let the ropes go with a sudden jerk and Tatsu gave a triumphant shout, dropping to the water, landing light on her feet.  She rushed Iruka, flying at him with fists and feet, which he blocked without conscious thought, meeting her blow for blow.  He grazed her with one of the kunai; and parried a couple more times for show.  Tatsu delivered a roundhouse punch which he let in through his guard, allowing the momentum to throw him backward.  The punch was a little harder than he’d expected and it knocked the breath from him for a second; the rope jutsu had apparently made her really angry.  That, or the water bullets.

Iruka soared across the surface of the water, landing messily on his back.  He formed a water clone and slipped beneath the surface, leaving the clone in his place.  He watched from below as Tatsu sprinted across the water, sword drawn.  He winced when her blade pierced his clone through the torso, the point dipping into the water, but he had no time to waste, breaking the surface of the lake behind her.  He jammed a kunai into the back of her thigh and, using his momentum as he travelled upward, pushed the other knife into her left, already damaged, shoulder.  Cursing, she dropped, and Iruka added insult to injury by flipping over her, jerking the kunai in her shoulder free and twisting, leaving a tearing wound behind. 

Iruka landed a good thirty feet away, kunai held in a classic blocking formation, protecting his forearms. 

“I’m going to fucking cut you apart, Kurohyou!” she screamed.  She flipped her hair angrily out of her face, reaching one handed over her shoulder to touch the wound, pulling her hand away bathed in blood. 

_Good, I need her angry,_ he thought.  _Anger will make her careless, more likely to make a fatal mistake_.  “I’m still waiting,” Iruka taunted, bringing the kunai up higher.  “Is that all you have?”

With a shriek of rage, Tatsu moved, almost a blur.  Iruka waited a split second and then moved, sprinting for the shore, toward the mist.  He pocketed the kunai, acknowledging the risk in doing so, but needing to end this before his chakra ran down.  He formed seals, chanting in his head as he did so, counting out the seven seals.  He’d not used this in a while; it was a jutsu that relied on a number of natural factors not usually found in Fire Country.  Here in Water Country though; well, the conditions were perfect.  He could hear the slap of her sandals against the water as he finished the seventh seal, and he kept running as he finished the jutsu.  “ _Suiton: Kiri Kadou_.”

By the time Iruka had reached the far shore, mist was being pulled toward him.  It mixed rapidly with the waterspout he had created, creating a barrier that engulfed Tatsu, wrapping her completely in an almost solid prison of mist.  It was perfectly designed for a hunter-nin, an A-rank jutsu to hold even someone like Tatsu. 

Iruka felt his chakra burn down in a rush and, with a grunt, he dropped to one knee, focusing on keeping the jutsu active.  He reckoned he had maybe thirty seconds before he had to let it go or risk a burn-out, unless he could activate his fuinjutsu.  Focused as he was on keeping the jutsu active, he almost missed the soft sound of a footfall behind him.

“Honey, I’m home,” drawled a familiar voice.

Iruka turned enough to see over his shoulder and allowed himself a small, tired grin from behind his cloth mask. “You’re late.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, guys! This is the penultimate chapter, so the next one will be the last! :D
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You’re late.”

Inu shrugged in a way that managed to appear contrite.  “Better late than never?”

Iruka let out a soft laugh.  “I suppose so.”

Inu moved closer and reached behind him, pulling Iruka’s katana from the holster on his back in one smooth movement.  “You left this behind; thought you might like it back.”  He placed in it in Iruka’s extended hand, gloved fingers brushing briefly against Iruka’s palm.  “You look banged up,” Inu observed.  “What the hell happened here?”

Iruka twisted enough so that he could see Inu.  Inu’s head was cocked to the side, and he appeared to be cataloguing the gouges and scrapes on Iruka’s arms.  Iruka wasn’t about to let Inu see the wound across his midsection at the moment; that could wait until later.  “I’ll fill you in on the details once we’re done.”

Inu looked as if he was about to say something, then seemed to change his mind, immediately snapping into mission-mode instead.  “Status?”

“Target is currently contained by my mist vortex,” Iruka replied in an even tone.  “She’s injured; I got her in the thigh and her already damaged shoulder with a couple of kunai.  I’m running a little short of weapons at the moment and I’m draining chakra rapidly.  I’ll have to release the jutsu any moment.”

Inu moved forward and touched Iruka lightly on the shoulder; almost a caress.  “Will you let me deal with this? I’m her captain; I should take her out.  She is my responsibility.”

Iruka understood that, for Inu, this was personal.  He needed to do this.  As much as Iruka had the mission to take Tatsu down, Inu needed closure as she had betrayed not only Konoha but also his team.  He nodded.  “You can have the kill, Inu, but I won’t watch from the sidelines.”

“Agreed.”

“Ready when you are.”  Inu nodded and Iruka released the mist vortex with a quick gesture.  Water crashed back into the lake, the mist dissipating now that it had nothing to contain its natural form.  As the mist dispelled, Iruka watched as Tatsu burst from its cover, screaming with rage, her sword drawn.  When she spotted Inu, a cruel, excited grin split her face, almost obscene in its madness. 

“Well, well, what a surprise,” she spat out breathlessly.  “This is perfect.  I’ve been waiting a long time to kill you, Inu.  And when I’m done with you,” her manic grin reappeared, “I’m going to finish carving up your boyfriend slowly.”  She moved in a blur toward them, so fast that Iruka had trouble keeping up with her.  Inu was just as quick, fueled by anger, and they met in a clash of blades before leaping away from each other, circling like wolves, each looking for an opening.  Iruka watched for a moment as they fought, exchanging blows with fists and feet, then swords, and then finally, springing apart, both rushing through seals fast enough that Iruka gave up trying to guess what would happen next.  He brushed his fingertips through the blood on his stomach and stood up, marking his fuinjutsu tattoo and releasing the seal.  Chakra flooded his system; a heady rush of power that almost made him stagger with the force of it.  Once he’d gotten used to the return of his chakra, he slipped his katana into the holster on his back and began to move out onto the lake, keeping both Inu and Tatsu in his sights.

Out on the water, Inu had finished his seals, aiming to take down Tatsu with a fire jutsu.  She countered with water, then used another earth jutsu.  Inu leap backward to avoid it, fingers flashing through more seals.  He released a volley of shuriken at Tatsu, who laughed at his efforts – right up until he blew a cloud of chakra-laced fire at the shuriken.  The shuriken began to glow red and Tatsu shrieked as she twisted and ducked to avoid the barrage of now-deadly projectiles.  She fought to bat the shuriken away with her sword, but a few found their mark, making her body jerk with the impacts.  The rest of the projectiles fell to the lake, still alight with chakra-flames.  Some sunk, others continued to burn on the water before falling away.

Inu moved back in, continuing to push Tatsu toward the small island in the middle of the lake.  Iruka got close, within striking distance, and used his water bullet jutsu to distract her before he pulled his blade and began fighting in close quarters.  He scored another slash across her upper arm and then one at her stomach.  “Fuck!” she spat, jumping backward and out of range.  Iruka noticed that her movements were becoming erratic under the strain of suddenly fighting two opponents, but that wasn’t necessarily a good thing.  Quite often, sheer desperation can cause an enemy to lash out, and where a calm individual might miss, someone running on fear could cause a lot of damage through pure luck.

Iruka saw the light change minutely off to his left side and he spun around, blocking instinctively before sweeping his sword down in an arc, cleaving through the clone Tatsu had created behind him. He swore; he hadn’t noticed her create it, having been too caught up in trying to track the battle.  He’d have to be more careful in future. 

The clone exploded with lightning, but Iruka had half expected that and shunshin’d back out of the way before he got caught in the damage zone.  When Iruka located Inu and Tatsu again, they were still exchanging jutsu.  Tatsu released an earth jutsu, creating a cloud of dust, which Inu ducked to avoid.  Surprisingly, as he ducked, he formed seals and shouted, “ _Fūton: Fūjin no Jutsu_!”, turning the cloud back on Tatsu and mixing it with a shrieking, high-velocity wind that bore down on her.  She countered with a wall of earth, pulled from the lake bottom to protect her at the last minute, and Inu followed up with what Iruka recognized from an Academy textbook as another A-Rank technique: The Wind Cutter.  Inu’s deep voice confirmed his assumption as he called out, “ _Fūton: Kazekiri no Jutsu_ ,” leaping backward as the honed and deadly blades of wind tore through Tatsu’s protective earth barrier, collapsing it like it was a single sheet of paper.

By this point, Tatsu had managed to move closer to the island.  She gained the bank with a triumphant shout, immediately forming signs and slamming her hands down.  The earth seemed to ripple like a wave, uprooting trees and bushes, breaking them like slender twigs, sending plumes of dirt into the sky.  When the ripple reached the lake, the area effects continued on, only magnified, as the ground heaved upward, pushing the water higher.  Iruka dove for the surface of the lake, sliding under the leading wave of the tsunami.  When he surfaced, the island was flattened and distended in shape, and small rocks, clods of dirt, and the odd leaf or two rained from the sky.  She stood on what remained of the shore, laughing hysterically, weaving to the side, rather like a puppet with her strings cut, sword held loosely in her hand.  “Come out, Inu!” she bellowed.  “I’m not done with you yet, you asshole!” 

Inu was strangely absent and, for a split second, Iruka feared that Tatsu had succeeded in taking him down.  A brief thrill of horror coursed through his system, adrenaline pumping.  He shook his head and pushed the thought to the side – Inu was more than able to take care of himself, but a distraction now on his part would probably push things in their favour.  Better to end this sooner rather than later, he thought.  Now was the perfect time to pull out his rarely-used Yin Release, while she was preoccupied looking for Inu and he could use the cover of the falling debris.  Iruka crouched down, keeping as low a profile against the receding wavelets as he could, and began to weave signs.  “ _Magen: Narakumi no jutsu_ ,” he murmured.  After a few seconds, leaves began to fall, mixed in with the still falling detritus from the island breakup.   Tatsu didn’t seem to notice, still wandering down the broken shore, laughing to herself occasionally and muttering.  The leaves gathered about her and she stilled, glancing skyward, frowning.  It was too late, however. She was already caught in Iruka’s Nightmare genjutsu; she just didn’t know it.  The last time he’d used this, it had been to test Team 7 before the Chuunin Exams, but this time it had a difference.  _This_ time, Iruka ramped it up to its full capacity. 

Tatsu let out a blood-curdling shriek and fell to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.  Iruka observed as she sunk fully into the Nightmare Illusion, re-experiencing whatever horrified her the most.  Everyone was different; everyone had a weak chink in their armour, a way in.  Iruka grunted as he tugged at the genjutsu, homing in on what really affected her most, letting it play out before his eyes.  Just as Tatsu experienced the castle basement collapsing on her, over and over again, Iruka watched as Inu slipped out of the water near the island.  Inu padded softly over the broken ground, and Iruka twisted the genjutsu again.  Tatsu screamed once more, voice hoarse from the effort.  She was thrashing on the ground, hands clawing at the dirt, and then she began to babble incoherently, muttering to herself, before letting out one final shout. 

In the illusion, she tried, and failed, to free herself from the fallen masonry, trapped in a pocket of ever-decreasing space that shifted around her, precious air leaching away.  Iruka twisted the illusion again, just for good measure as payback, letting her experience her bones breaking under the weight of stone, one by one.  Then he let the genjutsu go with a final vicious twist, releasing her back into reality.  That alone could be just as traumatizing in the right skilled hands; Ibiki was damn good at knowing when to release a genjutsu, and Iruka timed it perfectly.  Tatsu screamed a final time and collapsed back to the ground, panting for breath.  Slowly, she turned onto her hands and knees, scrabbling to find her sword which was out of reach.  Inu watched her, unmoving, from a distance, waiting for her to notice him.  When she regained her feet, she flinched once she saw Inu.  Surprisingly, she began to laugh, the sound swelling and becoming louder.  It was derisive and cruel and, for a moment, Iruka couldn’t decide if it was aimed at herself or her opponent.  As if Inu wasn’t present, only feet away, she turned her head and grinned at Iruka.  Blood trickled slowly from her nose, down across her lip, and she swiped roughly at it, paying it no mind.  “Impressive,” she panted, nodding to herself.  “I had no idea you were able to do that, Kurohyou.  You’re going to have to do better, though.” 

She lurched to the side suddenly, toward Inu, and delivered a roundhouse punch to Inu’s face with her off hand.  He ducked under her swing, only to encounter a further flurry of taijutsu.  Inu followed though, pushing her back over the lake, to where it was deeper.  Iruka silently thanked Inu; he pulled his chakra back in and channeled it, knowing that Inu was trying to get her out on the waves so Iruka could use his water ropes.  It seemed for a moment that they might have actually succeeded. 

Iruka focused on Tatsu, watching her.  His eyes widened when he recognized the order of seals she was using and he began to move toward Inu, jogging at first and then breaking into a run. 

It suddenly made sense.  She’d probably faked half of her little performance on the bank, had counted on Inu trying to push her back over the lake.  She’d even dropped her sword on purpose, to leave both her hands free to make a last, devastating stand.  And for that, she needed to be near water.

“Inu! She’s going to use Starlight Rain!” Iruka shouted, realizing there was no time for stealth. 

He ran faster, reaching down below the surface, pleased to find he still had a significant buildup of chakra in the water even after all this time.  As insurance, he poured puddles of chakra messily into the water and then, when he was close enough, pulled it all together in one solid mass and formed seals, thrusting the water ropes up through the surface.  Despite Inu attempting to distract her, Tatsu was ready for Iruka’s move, springing out of reach, one rope just grazing her ankle.  Iruka cursed as she completed the hand signs for the jutsu.

_“Sutaaraito Ame!”_ she shouted triumphantly _._

The air was suddenly sparkling with tiny diamonds of electricity that quickly wrapped themselves in water droplets.  Iruka skidded to a stop, not wanting to get in the strike zone.  _Stupid, stupid bitch_ , he thought.  _The breeze could blow this jutsu anywhere._    Part of Iruka realized she didn’t care where it blew; it made no difference to her.  This was a cold blooded calculation intended to take both of them out with no regard for her own safety.  She laughed; it was a chilling sound.

“Tatsu!  Don’t!”  Inu’s deep baritone voice carried across the lake.  His hands flashed through an incredibly long sequence of signs.  “ _Suiton: Suiryuden no Jutsu_!”

Iruka could only watch as a massive water dragon erupted from the lake.  It spread its wings, droplets of water cascading from its back, and screamed forward at a breakneck pace, opening its mouth.  Iruka expected it to belch water or fire or something; instead it homed in on the sparkling cloud of electricity and dove down, pulling the Starlight Rain jutsu into the lake.  The lightning exploded messily, jagged blue bolts of death arcing across the water, and both Inu and Tatsu were thrown back in opposite directions, bouncing across the surface like broken ragdolls.  Even from where he stood, Iruka felt the blast, the punch in the air and also beneath his feet; a double blow that had him staggering, trying to remain upright.  In the distance, what remained of the island was engulfed in water, breaking high on the shore and then over it, until nothing remained above the waves.

Moments passed as the water settled again.  Deeming it safe, Iruka began to run toward Inu, who had regained his feet but didn’t seem to be as quick to recover as usual. But that wasn’t surprising based on the number of A- and S-Rank jutsu he was throwing around.   By the time Iruka reached the fight zone, Tatsu had pulled herself to her feet, although she was off-balance and looked to be favouring her left side a little more than before.  She noted Iruka moving closer and turned slightly, keeping both Inu and Iruka in her sights.  “Come on then,” she taunted.  “Which one of you bastards wants to man up and try this again?  I’m sure you’ll be able to take me down eventually.”

_She has to be tiring_ , Iruka thought.  _She can’t keep up this level of chakra usage and not burn out soon._ Iruka knew he needed to distract Tatsu, to give Inu time to do what he needed.  He grinned. _Let’s see if she’s up for something new._

He flashed through signs: Tiger, Rat, Snake, Ox, Ram, and said, “ _Katon: Tengoku Shiranui_ ,” slamming his hand down on the water. Iruka cringed internally, hoping Inu wouldn’t kill him for the mental image he was probably experiencing which involved Iruka as Genma in an alleyway.  Despite the similarity in name, it had nothing to do with their comrade. Spider-like lines made up of individual seals shot out from beneath Iruka’s hand in the direction of Tatsu, the sigils burning with a phosphorescent, ethereal blue fire that quickly surrounded her.  She leapt away, but the fire jutsu followed, reaching upward, starting to spin quickly as it rose, until she was enclosed in what looked like a dome of fiery writing.  Once the dome closed, the air inside became scorching, and a blast of heat radiated outward, cooking the air.  This was ghost-fire, however, and it was mostly illusion.  Tatsu now believed she was burning, ignited in fire, and her scream was bloodcurdling. 

Mere moments were enough to do damage and Iruka released the genjutsu, dropping his hands.

Tatsu took a harsh, gasping breath.  It took her seconds to realize that Inu was right in front of her and she shifted, but not in time.  Inu’s punch connected solidly and she flew backward, landing on her back with a splash.  The timing was perfect: Iruka pulled up the water ropes, this time succeeding in snaring her effectively.  He didn’t waste time congratulating himself; he was well aware how dangerous she was, and immediately tightened his hold on the ropes, jerking them taunt.  Tatsu thrashed in the bindings, shouting profanity.  Panic and desperation made her strong, and Iruka fought to keep her down long enough for Inu to close in. 

Iruka sunk to one knee, realizing suddenly how drained he was.  He’d been fighting for hours, and while he had enough chakra, his body was bone weary, both from the fight and the events leading up to it.  Add to that whatever fun drugs they’d pumped him with before they’d arrived on the island, and Iruka was just about finished.

Tatsu stilled as she watched Inu approach, her breathing fast.  She was muttering to herself, and every now and again she’d convulse in an effort to break free.  “Get away from me!” she shouted.  “Come closer and I’ll slit you from gut to throat!”

Inu ignored Tatsu’s tirade, walking slowly toward her.  He sunk down on one knee next to her, holding her still with one hand on her shoulder.  Surprisingly, she quietened and stopped struggling.  The only sound was her harsh breathing.  With his other hand, Inu reached behind him and pulled out a short blade. It made a scraping sound against the sheath, loud in the unnatural and sudden silence.  Iruka recognized the knife; the tanto that she’d left embedded in the scroll, in what seemed like months ago.  The blade that Iruka had given to Inu that night they’d come together on top of the Hokage mountain.

“I made a promise that I’d return this to you eventually,” Inu said.  “Any last words?”

Tatsu laughed bitterly, the sound bleak and hollow.  “You can put me down like an animal, Inu, but know that there will always be someone waiting to take down your precious village.”  She turned her head and glanced at Iruka.  Her eyes narrowed and, for a moment, she looked vicious.  “And there’ll always be someone ready to kill your precious people.  Go to hell, _Taichou_.”

Inu moved forward, turned the weapon in his grip until it was point down, and plunged the blade through Tatsu’s chest.  She arched under him, but he held her down firmly, turning the blade as he pulled it back out.  Blood flew out in an arc from the blade, a brief shower of red rain.  Tatsu’s hands, which had been gripping his forearm, fell to the side.  Iruka watched as Inu leaned down, whispering in her ear, but Iruka had no idea what he said, his words muffled by the mask and by distance.  He stood stock-still but refused to look away; a necessary witness.  It was uncomfortable to watch, as intimate a death as Saru’s had been in Uzushio only, this time, Inu was not in the role of savior, but rather executioner. 

Tatsu gave a final surge upward, fighting the water ropes, as if she thought escape was still possible despite her wounds.  She grasped Inu by the strap on his vest, and Iruka heard her utter one last angry denial before she slumped back for the final time.  Blood pooled beneath her in an ever-widening river, turning pink as it mingled with the lake water and sunk below the surface.  Iruka released the jutsu, and now that there was no active chakra to keep her above the water, Tatsu’s body started to sink.

Inu rose to his feet and stepped to one side as Iruka approached.  He watched, holding the blade still dripping with blood, as Iruka knelt down and grasped hold of Tatsu’s vest so the body wouldn’t float away.  He placed two fingers to the pulse point in her neck, and finding no heartbeat, shook his head.  “It’s over,” he said with finality.

Inu took a deep breath and took a step backward.  He held up the blade and then slowly released his fingers, letting it go.  It dove point-first into the water, disappearing from sight, only the ripples on the water visible for a moment before the surface smoothed out.

“Are you okay?” Iruka asked.  Inu looked bone-weary; his posture screamed of tiredness.  Iruka knew how that felt; at this point he just wanted to sleep for a week.

“I’ll live,” Inu replied after a few moments.  He glanced at Iruka.  “You?”

“Same.  I can’t believe it’s finally done.  I should dispose of the body; she’s still Konoha. She still holds secrets we can’t let the enemy have.”

“Bit late for that,” Inu pointed out drily.

Iruka acknowledged the barb good-naturedly and shrugged.  He leaned down, hefting the body over his shoulder, and began to make for the far shore.  Once he reached solid ground, Iruka set the body down.  He stared into Tatsu’s face, twisted with hate even in death, and closed her eyes, not out of any sense of propriety, but more because he didn’t want to see her accusing glare. 

He intoned a quick prayer for the dead, raised his katana above his head, and brought it down in a hard, firm stroke across Tatsu’s neck, severing her head in one blow.

It was finished.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka finished disposing of Tatsu’s body and placed her head in a holding scroll, ready for transport back to Konoha as proof of the kill.  He’d had to get creative when he’d destroyed the corpse as most of his gear was missing, despite a search at the campsite.  In the end, he’d used an old jutsu which was designed to be used for something completely different, but still did the trick.  The body was gone and nobody would be able to glean anything further from it, which was the result he’d intended. 

The sun was now low on the horizon, and when he made it back to camp, Inu was in the process of packing up some of the items that he’d found there.  “Sorry, but I want to move the camp,” Inu explained.  “The beachhead is too open and I don’t have the extreme confidence Tatsu did.  She wanted to be discovered; we don’t.”

Iruka nodded; it made sense to get off the beach and out of sight.  “Our newfound Mist friends know where we are, anyway, so the point is moot.”

Inu paused, shooting Iruka a quizzical look.  “Oh?”

“Tatsu was planning to sell us out to Mist in return for safe passage.  Ah, here’s my mask.”  He bent down to retrieve it, dusting off the sand and clipping it to his belt at his hip.  He crouched down and began to search through the detritus near the campfire, hoping to find his gloves, arm guards and sandals.  Tatsu’s rubbish was an echo of the person she had been; discarded ration bar wrappers thrown next to neatly stacked supplies - a curious mixture of chaos and organization.  In reality, Tatsu had been dangerous in her ordered madness, a treacherous combination. 

“She’d planned on you tracking me here,” Iruka explained, “upon which point she intended to gift you to Mist and probably kill me afterward. It didn’t work out quite the way she’d hoped.”

They were going to have to come back in the morning, Iruka decided, because it was going to get dark soon, and getting a well-fortified camp set up was more important than his sandals.  He gathered a few ration bars while Inu took most of the medical supplies, and then they crossed back over the dunes and down toward the lake, heading for a sheltered spot past the grove of bamboo and around the shore, toward where the ground began to rise at the base of the cliffs. 

“Did Mist get impatient with Tatsu’s plan?” Inu asked.  “I don’t see signs of another fight.”

Iruka laughed.  “No, there was no fight.  Turns out they showed up specifically to tell her they weren’t interested in her offer.  It would appear that the Mizukage was deposed recently in what I assume was some kind of internal coup, and the new Kage is pulling Water Country into a temporary withdrawal until things stabilize.  It was probably the last thing Tatsu expected to hear from Mist, myself included.”

Inu’s pace slowed fractionally as he appeared to consider the ramifications of this.  “The Hokage will want to know this information.”

“I think Mist were counting on me passing that along – providing I survived.  I’m pretty sure it was one of them that circled back and used a shuriken to loosen my bonds.”

“That’s... unusual… for them to offer assistance,” Inu mused, clearly thinking things through.  “We might see some interesting things out of Mist in the future.”

“Don’t count on it.  I think they just wanted to even the stakes a little in case I was resilient enough to fight back.  Tatsu was a loose end and ninja aren’t known for leaving those around.” 

“I noticed a series of small caves at the base of the cliffs,” Inu said, pointing along the edge of the lake.  “I think it’s a good place to set up camp overnight.”

“We can fortify that pretty easily,” Iruka agreed.  “And we’ll be well-hidden should anyone come knocking.”

The sun had moved behind the cliffs by the time they located a decent cave with some ventilation.  The entrance was well protected, being twenty or so feet up the slope of the hill and layered with trees, but not far from fresh water from the lake.  Iruka stuck his head in, trying to adjust his eyesight to the lengthening shadows, and was pleased to find the cave relatively free of debris, the floor covered with a thin layer of sand, probably deposited by a flood or rising water sometime in the past.  Just beyond the entrance, the floor fell back slightly toward the rear of the cave, which was convenient.  This meant they could put a fire here and it would not be visible should anyone be watching from the far side of the lake.  “This is perfect,” he called out to Inu, who was standing watch just outside.  “Are you coming in?”

Inu stuck his head inside, poised at the entrance, and nodded.  “I’ll collect some wood from the trees here.  There’s bound to be deadfall we can use.”

While Inu collected some dry fuel for the fire, Iruka separated the ration bars he’d found from the medical supplies.  Inu returned half an hour later with an armload of branches, and Iruka began to set the wood in an ordered pile, adding kindling and twigs in the middle to form a pyramid.  “Can you…?”  Iruka gestured at the pile.  Inu nodded and used a small _katon_ to get the fire started.  As the fire caught properly Iruka began carefully adding more wood, building it up until it was burning well and in no danger of going out.  That would be bad; not only would he have to start it again, but the cave would rapidly fill with smoke.

While Iruka tended the fire, Inu began sorting through the supplies that Iruka had decided would be useful and had brought with them. 

“I wish I had my damn supply scroll,” Iruka said with a sigh.  He poked the fire with a stick, shifting some of the logs around to encourage air to circulate.   He sunk to the ground near the fire and tried not to wince.  Now that the fight was over and they were safe – to all intents and purposes – and the adrenaline had worked through his system, he was a mass of bruises, cuts and slashes, and it hurt.

“Are you in pain?”  Inu cocked his head to the side and crouched next to Iruka, concern evident in his posture.

Iruka chuckled self-depreciatingly.  “A little.  I really need to clean up some of these lacerations before they get infected.”

“Let me take a look.”  Inu began scrounging around through the medical supplies, pulling out bandages and salve.

“I can do it if you want first watch,” Iruka offered.

“Some of the ninken are out and about keeping an eye on things, so we should have warning if we get company.  I summoned them when I first arrived earlier.”  Inu knelt next to Iruka and pulled off his long gloves, discarding them to the side.  He looked different without the gloves; suddenly more naked, with the firelight playing over his lean muscles.  Iruka’s mouth went a little dry, right up until Inu swiped disinfectant over the first gash on his arm and killed all pleasant thoughts. “Sorry, should have warned you.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Iruka muttered, but let Inu continue.  Inu turned Iruka’s arm over and examined his wounds carefully. 

“What made these puncture wounds?”  His thumb glided over Iruka’s wrist; careful to stay away from the cuts, but it was still a curious gesture.

Iruka let out a deep, calming, breath.  “Barbed wire.  She claimed she ran out of rope and shackled me to a post with the wire instead.”

Inu’s body was tense and Iruka felt the killing intent seep from Inu’s lean frame.  It wasn’t aimed at him, but it was still intense and unnerving, a reminder of how dangerous he could be when provoked.  “What else did she do?”  Inu’s tone was level, but Iruka knew Inu; that tone spoke of danger more than an actual drawn sword would.

Iruka shifted, uncomfortable for some reason with sharing a low point, a weakness.  The truth was, he’d been caught off guard from the first moment he’d decided to cross that bridge, and he felt shame at how that moment had cascaded, creating other effects, culminating in him almost getting himself killed.

“Kurohyou?”  Inu had stopped cleaning the puncture wounds and was looking at him, waiting for an answer.

“Oh, you know, the usual,” Iruka hedged.  “Left me half submerged in water overnight, carved me up a bit, almost slit my throat.  You know how it goes; another day on the job.”

Inu didn’t laugh; he continued to stare at Iruka, the moment drawing out into a half minute of uncomfortable silence.  After a few more seconds Inu seemed to get himself in check and the killing aura faded somewhat, but Iruka could tell Inu was furious, even if his touch was gentle as he went back to tending Iruka’s wounds.  He switched to Iruka’s other arm and examined the long cut down Iruka’s inner forearm, fingers gripping a little tighter.  “I wish I hadn’t killed her so quickly,” Inu said, his voice rough and tight.  “For this, I’d kill her over and over again.”

“Not to worry; I spent a good few hours wearing her out for you before you got here.  I got in some serious damage as payback, trust me.”

Inu huffed out a laugh, although it was strained.  “Do you want me to try to heal this cut a little more?”

Iruka hesitated.  “It can be bandaged.  I healed it enough to get it started, before the fight.”

Inu nodded and pulled out a roll of bandages and a gauze pad.  He had Iruka hold the pad over the cut near the elbow and then began to wind the bandages up Iruka’s arms and over his hands, down to the knuckles.  As he tied the dressing off he asked, “Too tight?”

“No, should be fine.”  Iruka flexed his arm, checking the bandage was snug and then held out his other arm for the same treatment.  “Wow, I’m going to look attractive,” he said.

“It just adds to your mystery.  Vest off, please.”

Iruka sighed.  He knew Inu would have noticed the way he was walking earlier, and would know there was another wound.  The man was incredibly observant, and not a lot missed Inu’s attention.  Not that the blood crusting around the gash in his vest was an indicator, or anything.  Iruka undid the straps and one of the sides of the vest, pulling it away and tossing it to the side, but still close enough should he need it in an emergency. Then he lay back on the sand, watching as Inu moved around, gathering further supplies.  After a moment, Iruka reached down and pulled his blacks up, exposing his stomach.  He waited, and when Inu just sat there and looked at him, head cocked to the side and mask blank and unreadable, Iruka huffed and undid the button on his pants, pushing them down a little.  “Now I feel like a patient waiting for a medical exam,” he muttered, feeling the heat rising on his cheeks beneath the cloth mask.

“You look a little more edible than a medical test subject, if that helps,” Inu offered.  Iruka could hear the humor in his voice, and it settled his stomach a little, calming him.  This was the Inu that he’d missed.

“Thanks,” he replied dryly.

Inu gave the same attention to this wound as the others, and Iruka gritted his teeth as the disinfectant did its job, making the gash burn and then sting painfully, the pain radiating up across his lower abs. 

“I’m going to try to heal this; the wound’s still bleeding a little,” Inu explained.

Iruka laid back as Inu worked.  He didn’t have the finesse that most medics did; it was rough, as if he was forcing the wound to knit rather than coaxing it to close on its own.  That was okay, though; Iruka would rather have it healed a little roughly than have his guts decide to suddenly spill out on the way home. 

“Did you and Pakkun find Yuzuki in time?” Iruka asked, ‘In time’ being a tidy euphemism for _before he died horribly of some weird poison_.

Inu nodded and shifted to get a better angle on Iruka’s wound, smoothing his fingers over the area just above the cut.  His fingers were warm, Iruka noted, and the touch of skin on skin was arousing despite the lingering sting from the wound.

“It took some time to find him,” Inu added, glancing up at Iruka for a moment as if he was remembering.  “The bitch had hidden him pretty well, but then that’s Pakkun’s specialty.  He can track just about anything.”  Inu had stopped healing, settling next to Iruka with one of his thighs pressed against Iruka’s hipbone, his hand resting lightly on his stomach.  Iruka fought the urge to squirm a little and tried to pay attention to what Inu was saying.

“So you guys found him eventually,” Iruka prodded, swallowing hard as Inu’s fingers twitched against the sensitive skin of his midsection.

“Yes.  He was insensible when we found him; the convulsions were pretty bad.  I don’t carry many forms of Hidden Rock antidotes, especially not something like what she dosed him with.  So I used a couple of different general antidotes, hoping one would at least stave off the worst of it.”

“And if they reacted with one another, you weren’t in a worse place than before, anyway,” Iruka answered quietly.

“Exactly. I had to make a decision: move him now and get help, or try to wait it out and see if the antidote would do its job.  I’ll be honest, I wasn’t going to waste time waiting.  So, once I had him stabilized, we made a dash for the border of Fire.”

That explained why Iruka had noticed Inu hadn’t been totally at the top of his game in the fight; he’d run to Fire and then back, all the while carrying an unconscious man.  Iruka didn’t think he’d have managed the same feat if he’d been in a similar situation.

“I got Yuzuki to the nearest ANBU waystation and left him with Bull as backup,” Inu continued.  “Then I made my way back to the location of the bridge as quickly as possible and from there, it took me half a day to circle around and find a different way across the gorge.  After that, I had to pick up yours and Tatsu’s trail on the other side and then find the cove that she’d taken you to. You had me worried for a while – I thought that maybe, if wasn’t fast enough, she’d change her mind, decide to take you down anyway.” 

Inu’s fingers twitched against Iruka’s midsection before he glanced down and consciously made an effort to stop, instead flattening his hand against Iruka’s stomach muscles and smoothing gently across his skin in a distracting caress toward his hipbone.

Iruka cleared his throat in an effort not to react and break the moment.   “So, how did you get across to the island, anyway?  Truth told, I have no idea where we are, other than the assumption we must be somewhere near Water Country,” Iruka added, mostly to take his mind off what Inu was doing. The urge to push into the caress was becoming more insistent as time passed.

Inu seemed to snap out of his reverie for a moment.  “I borrowed a boat from some fishermen.  Well… _borrowed_ is a technical term; more like stole one.”

“You sailed here?” Iruka raised his head to stare at Inu, dumbfounded.  The man was full of surprises.  “Wait, did you say you _stole_ a boat?!”

“Stop moving; you’re bunching your stomach muscles and it’s distracting.  If you want this as scar free as possible you need to stay still.” 

“In case you haven’t noticed,” Iruka replied archly, “you’ve not been healing the wound for a while now.”

“Huh?”  Inu shifted closer.  “Sorry; I guess I got distracted by all that flesh you currently have on display.”

“You’re avoiding the topic.”  Iruka nudged Inu with his hip playfully.  “And you are supposed to be administering first aid, hence my state of undress.  Back to the boat you stole, please.”

“I promise solemnly to return the damn thing on our way back.  And I rowed here, okay?  I can’t sail a boat so I rowed.”

There was a small pause and then Iruka started laughing.  Once it started, he couldn’t stop, and he threw one bandaged arm over his face and let it happen.  “Oh my god,” he gasped, “the Great Inu, rowing across the sea from island to island.”  Iruka raised his head again, catching a glance at Inu, who was now sitting back, watching Iruka with some concern evidence in his posture.  That started Iruka off again.  “Did you – ho, _shit_ – did you have Pakkun in the front of the boat, keeping lookout?”

“I want you to know I’m sticking my tongue out at you, even if you can’t see it,” Inu replied in an even tone that betrayed the humour beneath. 

After a few moments of laughing, Iruka calmed down enough to check Inu over again.  “I’m done.  I think. Oh my god, that is _priceless_.”

“Whenever you’re ready, I’ll finish healing you.”

Iruka chuckled again, but laid back down, wiping tears from his eyes.  “I’m _so_ sorry,” he said, just to wind him up further.

“No, you are not.” 

“Okay, I’m not.  But thank you for coming to get me, anyway.”

 “You know I will always find you, Kurohyou.  Never doubt that for a moment.”

Iruka pulled himself upright into a sitting position, ignoring the pull on the freshly-healed wound.  He stared at Inu’s mask for a moment, sensing that this was serious.  “And you know I’ll always do the same,” he replied huskily.

Inu moved closer, one hand coming up to touch Iruka’s face, his fingers caressing over Iruka’s cloth-covered cheekbone, moving to the side until he cupped the nape of Iruka’s neck.  Inu’s thumb stroked just below Iruka’s ear, sending delicious shivers down his spine, adding to the slow burn of arousal from earlier.  Iruka watched, spellbound, as Inu reached up with his other hand until he grasped the lower edge of his mask and began to pull it away from his face.

“What are you doing?”  Iruka’s voice was rough and uncertain.  “Inu?”  He reached up and gasped Inu’s wrist lightly, preventing him from removing his mask. 

“I think I told you in the Uzumaki temple months ago that I would give you all of me that I could at that time.  Now I want to give you the rest; to show you who I am.”

“Inu, you know that it’s impossible right now.  We’re on a mission.”  Iruka could hear his voice rising, probably with panic.  Too much, too soon.  He wanted this, but he wasn’t _ready_ for this; would never be.

“Kurohyou.”  Inu paused, softening his voice.  He shifted, betraying an endearing hint of nervousness that made part of Iruka melt.  It was a side of Inu he’d not seen before.  “Shit,” Inu continued, “I didn’t think it would turn out quite this way.  I had envisioned more of the candlelight dinner scenario, maybe a bottle of wine and a crowded restaurant so you wouldn’t be able to punch me in the face.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Iruka asked, bemused.  Part of him realized Inu was trying to lighten the situation, to put Iruka at ease.  Another part of him wondered what Inu was so worried about – his identity didn’t matter in the end. It was just a face.  He released Inu’s wrist slowly, dropping his hand to his lap and taking a shallow breath, trying to center himself.

Seeming to take that as permission to proceed, Inu reached up again, hand hovering at the base of his mask.  He released the red ties at the back with his other hand and pulled, and then after a barely-noticeable pause, lowered the mask.

Iruka stared.  His brain stuttered to a stop, but he didn’t have a chance to get it functioning enough before Inu – no, _Hatake Kakashi, for fuck’s sake_ – yanked on the familiar cloth mask that hid the lower portion of his face, revealing himself completely to Iruka.  Iruka’s mind noted the tiny birth mark, and the small scar that intersected the left side of his bottom lip; part of him noted the fact that he really, really wanted to nibble on that, wondered what it would be like to kiss that generous, sarcastic, yet sensual mouth, what it would feel like wrapped around his cock.  

Another part of him really, _really_ , wanted to kill Inu dead.

“There’s one other thing I need to tell you,” Inu – no, _Kakashi_ – added, before Iruka could recover enough to do or say anything.  “I disobeyed a direct order from the Hokage.  She expressly forbade me from leaving the village to follow you on this mission.”  Kakashi paused, his mouth turning up in a crooked, slightly mocking smile that was clearly directed at himself. 

“Technically, as soon as I left the village, I became a missing nin and a traitor to Konoha.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, everyone.. this is technically the last chapter. There will be an epilogue in about a week or so which will have all the explicit sex. It just didn't fit into this chapter so I've chosen to separate it out.
> 
> I wanted to take a moment at this point to say thank you to my long suffering beta, Svana_vrika, who has checked my grammar and punctuation, held my hand, squealed, brainstormed with me (lots of fun!) and generally been awesome through all of this long process. Love you, sweetie!! <3
> 
> Secondly, I also wanted to thank all of you for taking time to read this monster (I swear, it was supposed to be three chapters, max!), to those of you who squeed, left kudos, commented and stuck with me through this. I've loved reading every single comment you guys sent my way!! <3
> 
> Here it is, hope you all enjoy!
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What did you just say?” Iruka asked slowly.  If he’d been distracted before by Kakashi’s face, it was nothing compared to the little afterthought that Kakashi had just tossed in at the end.

“I left the village against orders and am now a missing-nin?” Kakashi phrased it rather like a question, his voice going up at the end of the sentence, no doubt attempting some kind of bizarre humour.

Iruka sat there for a moment, mouth half open in surprise, and tried to focus on one thing at a time.  First; breathing.  Once he had that under control, he skipped over the next few things on the list and went straight to the important part: freaking out.  “Oh, you have got to be kidding me!” Iruka threw his hands in the air, but didn’t really pause for breath.  “By the First’s balls, Kakashi, I’m a fucking _hunter_ -nin! What the hell where you thinking?”  Iruka struggled to his feet, grabbing a random roll of bandages on his way up.  He pulled viciously at the roll, rapidly paying out the fabric and then trying to wrap it around his midsection over the mostly-healed gash on his stomach.

Kakashi, for his part, looked a little bemused and rose gracefully to his feet, both masks discarded on the floor.  He watched Iruka struggle to keep one end of the bandage in place and wind it with the other hand.  “Want some help?”

“No. No; I do not need any _more_ help from you!” Iruka shouted.  He could feel a hot flush rising on his cheeks as his brain fought for clarity.  Thoughts were spiraling through his head a mile a minute, jumbled one on top of each other, and he thought he might actually explode if he had to sort through them and prioritize.  Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Pakkun’s head appear at the entrance of the cave.  Pakkun took one look at the scene, flinched, and apparently decided to turn tail and run away.  He was a smart dog, Iruka thought, glaring at Kakashi.  “What’s going to happen when I check in with ANBU on the way back?” Iruka demanded.  “I have to let them know my mission is complete.  I’ll tell you what’s going to happen: I’ll get another scroll from the Hokage telling me, at best, to bring you in; at worst, to take your head.  That’s my fucking job. It’s what I do for a living! Had you thought that far ahead, Hatake?”  Iruka was on a roll now; there wasn’t much that was going to derail the myriad thoughts running riot through his head. 

“I considered the options,” Kakashi responded.  He sounded – and looked – remarkably grave.  “Don’t think I made this decision on the spur of the moment, Kurohyou.”

“What do you want me to do, Inu?” Iruka slipped back into the habit of months; part of his brain couldn’t deal with naming conventions while he was in the middle of having an existential crisis. 

Kakashi took a step toward Iruka, who automatically backed up, bandages still gripped tightly in his hands.  “I would think you would follow the Hokage’s orders, Kurohyou,” he said, voice low and husky.  “I calculated that there was a good possibility that you would have to bring me in; I have no intention of running from you.”

“Fuck you, you arrogant prick,” Iruka spat out.  “First you make a life-altering decision and _then_ you have the conceit to think you can predict my reactions and account for them ahead of time.”

“What else was I going to do?” Kakashi held out his hands in a gesture that clearly read as resignation.  “I was not going to back down purely because of some bureaucratic bullshit in the village.  This was _our_ mission from the beginning; I wanted to see it through to the end, with you at my side.”

“You think I can’t do my job?” Iruka dropped the bandages and stepped forward into Kakashi’s space.  “That I need an ANBU bodyguard to make sure my mission is completed?”

In his defense, Iruka thought that Kakashi looked a little baffled.  “Kurohyou, I-“

Iruka’s chakra-laden fist connected with Kakashi’s jaw, hard enough to make his knuckles and his shoulder ache.  From long experience, Kakashi went with the blow, head snapping to the side.  He staggered slightly, as if he hadn’t accounted for the sheer force of Iruka’s anger.  He rubbed at his jaw, which was now a hectic shade of red against his pale skin and already starting to bruise. “Feel better now?” he asked after a moment, raising an eyebrow.

“Marginally,” Iruka muttered, his anger deflating somewhat. 

Kakashi took a hesitant step toward Iruka.  “I have another confession to make,” he said, “although this is purely for selfish reasons on my part.”

Iruka sighed, running his hands through his hair.  He leaned back against the rear wall of the cave, drawing support from it.  He felt wrung out suddenly; tired beyond belief.  “Selfish reasons?” he asked huskily.  ‘I can’t imagine anything worse than what you’ve just told me.”

“Don’t make statements you can’t take back,” Kakashi said wryly.  “The truth is,I’ve known who you are for a long time.  It’s one of the reasons I wanted to show you my face; to reveal who I am.  I wanted to be on equal footing with you, Iruka.”

Iruka paused for a moment; apparently long enough for Kakashi to become concerned.  “Iruka?”

“I’m trying to decide if I can get away with claiming you died on the mission,” Iruka ground out.  His hands curled into fists at his sides, and he felt the many little wounds from the barbed wire ache and pull painfully.  “I figure if I bury your body under the floor of the cave, nobody would know the difference.”  Iruka glared over Kakashi’s shoulder toward the entrance and then back again.  “Of course, then there’s the slight problem with your ninken.  I’m not sure what would happen to them.  I’m now wondering if they simply disappear when the person they contracted with is murdered messily by their lover, or if –“

Iruka’s thoughts were interrupted when Kakashi leaned forward.  Iruka may have been tired, and injured, but he still recognized that familiar gesture.  Automatically he put both arms up, grabbing Kakashi by the biceps, halting his movement.  “What the hell are you doing?” he snapped.

Kakashi shrugged.  “I was going to kiss you?”

“That’s your way of trying to fix the problem?” Iruka snapped out.  He bought his knee up sharply, and Kakashi dodged the blow to his manhood by the simple expediency of slipping to the side out of reach. 

Kakashi raised his hands and said, “Okay, in retrospect, that was a bad move.  I apologize.”

Iruka felt his ire subside marginally and he rubbed his forehead.  “Forget it, Kakashi.” He paused, realizing how that had probably sounded.  After a moment he added, “I can’t do this right now; it’s simply too much information to take in.  I _want_ to kill you, don’t doubt that, but I don’t think I can stand up much longer.  Can we agree to get some rest and discuss this tomorrow, maybe when I’m not going to devolve into a twelve-year old with a penchant for bloody murder?”

Kakashi nodded, a wry smile ghosting over his lips.  “Agreed. You can kill me tomorrow.  Meantime, will you let me finish healing that wound so you don’t have to go into fits trying to fix that bandage?”

Iruka wanted to decline; he was still very much annoyed.  Yet as Kakashi stood there, watching Iruka closely for a reaction, Iruka could see Inu in the way he stood, in his body language.  There was the ever-present inner strength, the lean predator Iruka knew so well.  Iruka missed Inu and, for a moment, he wondered if he was reacting as he was because he knew it was Kakashi – was placing what he knew of Kakashi on top of his view of Inu and distorting his opinion.  It was something to think about and examine closely.  He couldn’t let his relationship – his friendship – with Inu become tainted by previous misconceptions toward someone he had had difficult dealings with in the past.  Iruka needed to lead the truce, he saw that now.  “If you could finish healing this, I’d appreciate it,” he said finally, trying not to react to the hope he saw in Kakashi’s single, good eye.

Kakashi stood back and watched as Iruka crossed to the fire and sat down, pulling up his shirt and laying back.  “Ready whenever you are,” Iruka said.

“I’m always ready,” Kakashi said, crouching down next to Iruka.

It sounded so much like Inu that Iruka smirked before he could even think about it.  “Don’t push your luck, pervert,” he said softly.

“Your pervert.”  Before Iruka closed his eyes, he caught the ghost of a return smile on Kakashi’s face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka woke gradually; a slow rise of consciousness that was more in line with his normal routine back in Konoha.  Usually, when on a mission, he would snap instantly awake, all senses on alert and adrenaline pumping, ready for anything.  Instead, he reached out with his senses, eyes closed; a marked difference from yesterday when he'd been shackled and half expecting to be carved up and then killed at any moment. 

He could smell the faint smoky burn from the fire in the cave, mixed with damp, chill air that was so much a part of Water Country in late autumn. He let his mind wander, acknowledging the aches and bruises on his body, the sharp, throbbing pain that still radiated from his forearm.  Surprisingly, Inu had done a good job of healing his stomach wound almost completely, although the wound still remembered it, a subtle pain rather than immediate that would take a few days to go away completely.

Inu.  _Kakashi_.   Iruka sighed, releasing the tension that crept into his body with the remembrance of last night's events.  He was still irritated; he realized that, if he was not careful, it was possible that his simmering annoyance would catch and become full-blown anger again.  Along with the irritation, there was a vague embarrassment that he'd been caught completely off guard by Kakashi's long list of revelations.  He was not looking forward to discussing those. 

He sat up, sloughing off the myriad questions that immediately started to crowd his mind as he began to think about last night.  They could wait for a moment; what Iruka needed was a refreshing dunk in the lake to clear his mind.  Kakashi had said something about the ninken being summoned, plus Iruka had seen Pakkun last night before he’d fled, so it should be safe to go outside and not have to worry about being attacked without any warning. Still, he’d take his sword with him just in case. He walked to the cave entrance, body stiff but loosening as he moved, and wended his way down the hill and through the trees until he reached the shore.  The sun was bright; a harsh light that gave a washed out appearance to the sky, but it was warmer out here than in the cave, which was pleasant.  Iruka glanced in both directions, and across the lake.  Now that there was daylight, he could see the broken remains of the small island that had been in the middle of the lake.  After the battle, it was barely visible above water, the odd wavelet cresting against the flattened bank and detritus of trees and shrubs. 

Kakashi was nowhere in sight, but Iruka wasn’t worried; the man could more than handle himself, and if something surprising happened, he would send a signal.  Iruka put his sword down so that it was within reach, pulled his mask off, then his shirt, and began to unwind his bandages; both the ones that Kakashi had wrapped around his forearms, and then the red hunter-nin bandages around his thigh and his ankles.  He wriggled out of his pants, casting them to the side on a flat rock, and waded straight into the water. _Fuck_ , Iruka muttered.  The water was cold but he gritted his teeth, waiting for his body to adjust.  He wandered out until he was hip deep and bent down, scooping up armfuls of water and pouring it over his back, then he dropped down until he was underwater.  He scrubbed at his scalp and hair, feeling the sweat, blood and dirt from the fight yesterday loosen, leaving his skin breathing again and feeling fresh.  When he could hold his breath no longer, he surfaced, water sloughing from his body.  He pushed his hair back and took deep lungfuls of clean air, enjoying the moment.   

Distant barking drew his attention toward the island.  Iruka frowned, finally making out the small brown dot that was racing across the water toward the shore, further down the beach.  After a few moments, Iruka realized it was Pakkun.  Pakkun barked again and then shot off in the other direction, skidding across the water sideways in a spray of droplets, before jumping up into the air.  He was ninken, so he was able to jump quite high, and for the life of him Iruka couldn’t figure out what the hell the dog was doing. Pakkun caught something in his mouth and began to trot back towards land.  Iruka turned slightly, noticing Kakashi on the shore further down.  He was fully dressed, sword across his back, both masks on, but he appeared relaxed, not so tense as Inu would have been if he’d expected trouble.  Pakkun stopped before Kakashi, who crouched down, taking, what Iruka finally realized, was a stick from Pakkun’s mouth.  Pakkun barked and Kakashi stood up again, arm reaching back as he threw the stick out over the water.

Kakashi was playing fetch with his dog.

Iruka couldn’t have been more surprised than if Ibiki had suddenly appeared directly in front of him and announced it was Beach Wear Friday and he was buying rounds of beer for everyone.

Kakashi turned, some sixth sense alerting him to Iruka’s presence, and he raised a hand.  Iruka echoed the gesture and watched as Kakashi began to stroll back along the beach toward him.  Iruka finished washing, getting the last of the dirt off his skin, and began to wade back to the shore.  He reached up, twisting his hair to rid it of excess water.  Kakashi stood only feet away, his mask reading blank impassiveness, and it was a testament to their fragile truce that Kakashi didn’t make a perverted comment about Iruka being wet and naked and without his mask.  It was _almost_ disappointing, Iruka thought.

Pakkun came trotting up behind Kakashi, stick still in his mouth, and then seemed to realize he was being more dog than hardcore ninken.  He spat the stick out like it was a venomous snake and then glanced between the both of them.  “Are we having breakfast, Kakashi?” he asked.

Iruka grinned and raised an eyebrow.  Kakashi cleared his throat and finally tore his gaze from Iruka.  “I caught us some fish.  Now you’re up, would you like to eat?”

Iruka nodded, reaching for his pants and slipping them on.  “That would be nice,” he replied.  He cringed inwardly; _nice_ was a word his pre-genin teacher had hated – stating that there were many other much more descriptive words in a person’s vocabulary, and that he never wanted to hear such a lazy word ever again.  Iruka grabbed his mask and shirt, and the bandages, and began to walk toward the cave entrance.  “Bring the fish; I’ll cook it,” he called over his shoulder.

While the fish cooked, Iruka sat down near the fire and rewound the bandages up his arms.  He was turning black and blue with bruising now, the scabs from the puncture wounds just forming.  The cut on his forearm was starting to heal properly now, thanks to the head start he gave it yesterday, but he still bound it carefully.  His skin prickled pleasantly as the water drops dried, and he left his shirt off for now.  He knew it would distract Kakashi, ever the pervert, and he wanted Kakashi off guard, ready to be truthful.  If he had to stoop to low tactics, well; he was a ninja.  Whatever got the job done.

They ate in silence, sitting close to each other.  Pakkun took his share and trotted off, saying he was going to the beach to keep lookout.  Iruka knew he was fleeing the tense atmosphere growing in the cave.  Kakashi had removed both masks and ate slowly, as if it was something he didn’t get to do very often.  Iruka acknowledged the gesture for what it was; Kakashi was showing his trust to Iruka, telling him without words that his feelings hadn’t changed.  He trusted Iruka with his life and his identity which, in reality, amounted to the same thing.

“How long have you known who I was?” Iruka asked.  He finished the last of his fish and threw the stick he’d been using as a makeshift fork back into the fire. 

“Does it matter?”

Iruka sighed.  “Kakashi, I want the truth.  I don’t care if it hurts both of us or not.  I need to know you have my back like I have yours.  I need to know we are a team.  You have to admit, throwing three goddamned revelations at me in quick succession was not one of your better plans.”

“I know it wasn’t.” Kakashi paused, reaching for another piece of fish.  “We’re all human. I made the wrong call.  I thought that you would appreciate knowing everything at once, rather than drawing the situation out.”

“The situation?” Iruka barked.  He turned to face Kakashi, pulling one knee up and resting his bandaged arm on top.  “I’d hardly describe it as a ‘situation’. Now, be honest with me; how long have you known?”

Kakashi glanced at Iruka, into his eyes, and then broke eye contact.  “I had my suspicions a long time ago, back when I bumped into you outside Ibiki’s office.  The faint bruising on your jaw and the way you held you shoulder was similar to the injuries that Kurohyou had received on our joint mission.  The way you would never show your back to me, keeping it covered.  Still, I wasn’t certain; there were many other little things that maybe shouldn’t have added up to anything.”  He ran his hand through his hair, a nervous gesture that seemed to fit well with him; one that Iruka hadn’t seen Inu do before.  Kakashi, he had.  “Then, in the bar that night when Izumo was getting wasted, you had the bandage on your bicep.  I know Genma thought it was an ANBU tattoo, but when you appeared as Kurohyou the next morning with the same thing, I knew for sure.”  Kakashi shifted until he was facing Iruka.  His knee brushed against Iruka’s momentarily, sending a jolt through Iruka at the accidental contact.

“Iruka, what I am trying to tell you is that who you are outside of the _Oinin Butai_ doesn’t matter to me. It never did.  Was I surprised at first? Absolutely.  But not because I thought you were unsuited for it.  Ibiki – and the Hokage – would never have entrusted to you such a position if they thought you couldn’t do the job.  I was simply surprised because it confirmed to me that you had deep layers, ones you kept carefully hidden, and I was curious because you are obviously a lot more than you project.  That’s why I wanted to tell you who I was, although there was never really a good time.”

Iruka rubbed at his scar, taking a moment to regroup.  “Your timing sucks, Kakashi,” he replied.  “Although maybe I understand why you did so.  I feel like such an idiot though.”

“How so?”  Kakashi cocked his head to the side and Iruka was suddenly looking at Inu, but without the mask.  It was such a familiar gesture and now he could see the puzzled expression Inu had hidden beneath the mask this whole time.  It was something Iruka was going to have a hard time getting used to; this blending of two personas.

“I should have been more attentive,” Iruka began.  “I should have put all the clues together, rather like you did.  I can’t believe I didn’t realize it was you. For fuck’s sake, I had you on the list of suspects in the village! We all talked about you in the Hokage’s office like you weren’t there.  Even Tsunade and Ibiki played along,” he growled.

“We are trained _not_ to look beneath our masks, Iruka,” Kakashi said, his tone deadly serious.  “As you said in the ANBU archives, you can never reveal who you are because of your position.  In a way, you still haven’t, since I approached you with the knowledge.  I will take that secret to the grave with me.”

“That might be sooner than you think,” Iruka muttered darkly.

“As I said, I will accept the consequences of my actions.”

Iruka threw up both hands, exasperated suddenly, the irritation returning.  Now, however, he could admit that his irritation was based solely on worry for Kakashi, and what would happen to him.  “Have you really thought this through?” Iruka asked.  “Are you hoping I will go missing-nin as well? Do you think we should run off into the sunset while half the _Oinin Butai_ chase after us?”

Kakashi gave another one of his self-mocking smiles.  “I admit I hadn’t thought of that; it does have a certain amount of appeal to it, though.”  His smile vanished when Iruka gave him a murderous stare.

“Kakashi, we’d both be under death sentences; you, because of who you are and your Sharingan, your knowledge of jutsu, me, because I know the inner workings of the _Oinin Butai and_ ANBU.  We would both be executed with extreme prejudice within a matter of days.  I, for one, do not wish to die yet.  I want to eat ramen at Ichiraku’s again and see Naruto become Hokage sometime in the future.”

Kakashi let out a bark of sudden laughter, and Iruka couldn’t help but respond, trying to imagine his most surprising and infuriating student as the Hokage.  “I wouldn’t mind seeing that as well,” Kakashi said.  “If anyone can accomplish it, it’ll be Naruto.”  He wiped his hands on his pants and leaned forward, into Iruka’s space.  “Can we agree that I’ve done a stupid thing, and that I promise not to do anything else as equally stupid in the future?”

Iruka gave a sharp nod, unable to speak for a moment.  Eventually, he said, “Kakashi, you infuriate me beyond belief, but I’ve become accustomed to having you around.  I worry what will happen in the next few days.”

“Is that a declaration of love, sensei?”  Kakashi winked.

“I might have to punch you again.”

“Just don’t attempt to knee me in the groin.  I’d prefer being decked in the face.”  Kakashi pointed to his jaw, where the bruise Iruka had given him the night before had blossomed into a fierce blue-black mark. 

“I’ll try to keep that in mind,” Iruka said.  He rose slowly to his feet.  “We should head out while we still have the day ahead of us.  Are you ready to go?”

“As I’ll ever be,” Kakashi replied, pulling up his cloth mask to cover his face.  He stood up, kicking sand over the fire to extinguish it.

Iruka got dressed slowly, suddenly loath to return to being Kurohyou, knowing what was ahead.  Still, he had a duty to do, so he would do it, the same as Kakashi.  As he pulled up his mask and fixed his porcelain mask back on, Kakashi did the same.  Two silent killers stood in the cave, watching each other.

Iruka moved closer to Inu, reached out his hand, and brushed his fingertips across Inu’s palm.  At the familiar gesture, the tension seemed to drop out of Inu, and Iruka heard him sigh.  Inu returned the gesture slowly, his touch sending tingles of lazy desire through Iruka’s body, and he felt himself respond.  Iruka noted that; knew he was going to have to really work on associating Inu and Kakashi as the same person, and to stop projecting Kakashi’s perceived faults into their dealings with each other.  Iruka broke their contact, stepping back, but reaching up to place a hand against Inu’s neck.  He leaned forward and they touched masks.  “Don’t die,” Iruka said huskily, before turning and striding from the cave.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They reached the closest ANBU station two days later.  The boat ride had taken a day and a half, and they’d split the journey by camping on another island much closer to Fire Country.  After returning the boat to the fishing village – as Kakashi had promised – they’d set a fast pace through the familiar forests of Fire Country, camping again overnight. 

Iruka crouched down in the branch of a tree about three miles from the waystation, and Kakashi landed next to him, silently.  “I think it’s best right now if I go on ahead,” Iruka warned.  “I’d rather not have anyone know your exact location until I ascertain if Tsunade has issued orders against you, and if she has, what they are.”

Kakashi nodded.  “That makes sense.  How well do you know the area around here?”

Iruka ran through geography in his head rapidly.  “Fairly well to the north of here; to the south, not so much.”

“Okay.  There’s a small nobleman’s estate nearby, just to the north on the bend of the river.  Do you know it?”

“Yes; I did an escort mission there once.”  Iruka rolled his eyes at the memory, and then realized Kakashi couldn’t see.  “It was one of the worst C-Ranks ever,” he added.

Kakashi chuckled; clearly it was a familiar situation.  “There’s a rocky outcropping that juts over the bend in the river. I’ll wait for you there.”

“I know of it.  Shouldn’t be too difficult to find.” Iruka paused, suddenly unsure what to say.

“I’ll see you shortly,” Kakashi said, as if reading Iruka’s mind.  He brushed a hand over Iruka’s arm, and was gone.

“Dammit,” Iruka muttered.  He stood up, dropped down to the next branch, and headed toward the ANBU station, arriving minutes later.  This particular station was underground; the only thing visible above ground was a set of short stairs leading down to a solid-looking door, which appeared to be unguarded.  Iruka guessed that was far from the case and, as he drew close to the stairs, he was greeted by a lone ANBU in a boar mask, who suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking the way, sword drawn. 

The ANBU paused for a moment, and then said, “When the tree leaves dance, one shall find flames.”

“The Fire’s shadow will illuminate the village, and once again, tree leaves shall bud anew,” Iruka replied, finishing the phrase by rote, eager to get this over with.

“Kurohyou-san,” the ANBU said in greeting, returning his sword to the sheath on his back and sketching a quick bow.

“Inoshishi-san,” Iruka replied.  “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.  How is Konoha?”

“The village is well.  I take it your mission was successful?”

“It was,” Iruka replied.  “Although overly complicated.”

Inoshishi glanced quickly out over the forest, ever vigilant, and then back at Iruka.  “I have a scroll from the Hokage waiting for you, in case you came this way.  It is marked for your eyes only, and is urgent. I suggest we go inside.”

Iruka had been expecting it, but Inoshishi’s words still sent a thrill of sick fear through Iruka.  He was glad he was wearing his porcelain mask.  He followed Inoshishi down the stairs, waiting patiently as he disarmed traps, finally flashing through a couple of signs that must be the password.  The door opened and Inoshishi gestured Iruka inside.  Another ANBU was sitting at the small table in the middle of the room, playing solitaire.  Iruka didn’t recognize the mask, but nodded to her in greeting. 

“This way.” Inoshishi led Iruka through the room, past a couple of other doors that were clearly dorm rooms for those on duty, and back into what Iruka always liked to term the ‘war room’.   This room had a long table, and it was good for laying out scrolls and maps on or, when cleared, could be used as a bench to clean weapons or armour.  It was multipurpose, and this particular room was well looked after and well stocked.

“You look the worse for wear,” Inoshishi noted, pausing on the far side of the table.  He leaned forward, resting his hands on the worn top.  “Do you need supplies or medical attention?”

Ever the consummate professional, Inoshishi wasn’t going to ask for particulars, of which Iruka was glad.  “A medic no, I’ve dealt with what I could; the rest can wait.  I could do with a supply scroll if you can spare one,” he said.  He hadn’t been able to find his; its location was still a mystery and, if he knew Tatsu’s spiteful personality, was probably ashes in the camp fire.  At least he’d finally found his sandals, which was a relief.

“ANBU or _Oinin Butai_?”

“Sorry?” Iruka cursed himself for wandering mentally.

“Scroll,” Inoshishi clarified.

“Right.  Both if you have them.”  He’d forgotten the waystations were likely to have hunter-scrolls as well.  The _Oinin Butai_ used these stations the same as the ANBU did – although a lot less often.  The ANBU were always watching; they rotated shifts and personnel regularly, while the hunter-nin were employed on an as-needed basis which, until recently, hadn’t been often.

Inoshishi placed both supply scrolls on the table and pushed them toward Iruka.  Then he crossed to a small safe in the corner and set about unlocking it, releasing traps and all manner of no-doubt nasty failsafes.  The mission scroll that he removed and handed to Iruka confirmed his fears.  It was small, the band around the middle coded yellow, tied with a red cord.  The yellow was code for the _Oinin Butai_ , and the red signaled urgent and not to be delayed.  Iruka could even make out the Hokage’s stamp on the inside; she’d whacked it so hard that the impression had actually bled through to the outer layer of wrapping.  Iruka held it like it was a bag of wasps.  _I hope to all the gods this is not a kill order_ , he prayed.  _Because if it is, there’s a good possibility I’ll be missing-nin myself by tomorrow if we can’t figure something out._

After a few moments, Iruka pulled himself together and tucked the scroll in his pouch.  “Thank you, Inoshishi-san.  Could I trouble you for a blank scroll and ink, and a messenger bird if one is free?”

“Of course.  However, let me give you a word of advice: you might want to take care how you phrase your letter to the Godaime at the moment.”

“Oh?” Iruka managed to make his comment sound casual.  Inside, he was sweating bullets.

“Apparently Tsunade-sama won the lottery last week.  You know how well that plays out,” Inoshishi said with a heavy sigh.

“Konoha is still standing?” Iruka checked hesitantly.  Whenever Tsunade won the lottery, or a great deal of money, _bad_ things tended to happen.

Inoshishi gave a bark of laughter.  “You know her well, Kurohyou.  But yes, to answer your question, two days ago when I left, Konoha was still in one piece.  Something’s set her off, although I’m happier not knowing what it is.  Glad to be out here, you might say.”

Iruka wished he could say the same.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I take it that didn’t go well, then,” Kakashi said sometime later.  Iruka had sent the borrowed messenger bird on its way, with a concise message advising Tsunade-sama the mission was complete and that he had picked up the new mission scroll.  Then he’d departed, and after an hour of wandering in the direction he thought he’d needed to go, had finally found the Nobleman’s estate and from there, Kakashi’s hiding spot on the edge of the river.

“I have a new mission scroll,” Iruka said, following Kakashi under the rocky overhang until they were out of sight.  Kakashi hadn’t lit a fire, rather had simply waited for Iruka.  “It’s coded red.”

Kakashi paused, leaning casually against the rock face, arms crossed.  He looked the perfect picture of ANBU disinterest, but Iruka knew him well; could see the subtle tension in his muscles, the way Kakashi held his body taut.  “What are your orders?”

“I haven’t opened it yet,” Iruka admitted.  “I didn’t trust my reactions in front of Inoshishi.  I didn’t want to set off his finely-honed suspicions.”

Kakashi let out a bitter laugh.  “He’s paranoid; that’s what makes him such a good captain. Open the scroll and get it over with.”

“I suppose.” Iruka pulled the scroll from his pouch and released the red cord.  He unwrapped it, the smooth parchment softening from the heat of his palms.  There was nothing decorative about this scroll, simply line after line of carefully dictated characters, uniformly arranged across the parchment.  In the bottom left corner was the Hokage’s official seal; this was what had been stamped hard enough to mar the outside surface of the scroll.  The missive was terse and to the point, and it was obvious Tsunade wasn’t mincing words; the contents were blistering.  Iruka cleared his suddenly dry throat.  “It’s as I suspected.  Fortunately, this isn’t a kill order – yet – which works in your favour.  I am instructed to bring you in under guard with full honours,” Iruka explained.

“That doesn’t sound too bad.”

“Not so.” He rolled the scroll back up and tucked it back into his pouch.  “ _Full honours_ is an _Oinin Butai_ code.  It is not simply bringing a prisoner in; it means I have to shackle you and bind your chakra.  You will be helpless.”

“Kinky.”

“Will you be serious?” Iruka huffed.  “This is bad; this means the Hokage is deadly serious about bringing charges against you.  Most of the time my missions are search and kill; I’ve only ever bought one person in alive with full honours, and they were executed shortly afterward.  I _had_ to do it; it is, and was part of my job as a hunter-nin.”

“Iruka, I understand.” Kakashi uncrossed his arms and stepped closer to Iruka, reached out a gloved hand and touching Iruka gently on the bicep.  “I told you I would accept responsibility for my actions.”

“How can you be so calm and accepting of what could possibly be your death?” Iruka’s voice was rising; he made a conscious effort to modulate his tone so it wouldn’t carry outside of their location and give them away.  “Was completing this mission worth the possibility of being executed?”

“Yes.”

Iruka grit his teeth.  He knew he was frowning; he could feel a sharp ache between his eyes and across his jaw.  “Do you know what it’s like to execute someone in cold blood, Kakashi?  I’m not talking in the heat of the moment, in battle, where seconds count and the adrenaline is pounding through your veins.  I’m talking about standing there, observing the condemned, knowing you hold in your hands the exact moment of their death? That you are the deciding factor as to when that will happen?”

“Iruka, I – “

“No, Kakashi, don’t.”  He almost said, _I am your lover.  Do you know how much this will be a death sentence for me, along with you?  That my soul will die as much as yours except, if I am forced to end you, your death will be fast compared to mine?  I will not be able to live knowing I killed one of the only precious people I cared about_.  The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t say them.  He couldn’t let Kakashi go back to Konoha with Iruka’s guilt hanging over them; things were bad enough as they were.  Kakashi was deathly still and Iruka knew that, even if he hadn’t said the words, Kakashi understood them.

He sighed, feeling his breath tremble on the exhale.  He needed to get himself together, fast, and his emotions in check.  “There will be a trial,” Iruka said.  “You will be judged by the Hokage, probably Ibiki, and one other person; usually one of your ranking peers.  Do not, however, assume this is a trial by jury; your fate lies entirely with the Hokage.  There have been four trials conducted in this way in the last ten years, and all of them have ended in execution.”

Kakashi nodded; for once Iruka was relieved he didn’t try to negate the seriousness of the conversation with a stupid quip.  “My orders state that I have to return immediately upon receipt of the scroll once I have located you.  I’m sure the Hokage already suspects you are with me; in fact, I’m sure of it.  Inoshishi will have sent a note with my messenger bird that I have taken possession of the scroll.  We don’t have much time.” 

“Then we should get moving.” 

Iruka paused, but he could already see a change coming over Kakashi.  His posture changed enough that Iruka felt himself tense also.  Kakashi was shutting himself off, possibly a defensive move, rather like Iruka did when he called on Kurohyou to get certain things done.  It was clear, without a word spoken, that Inu was now present; and not the one Iruka knew well.  This version was Inu from before Iruka knew him; dangerous and constantly on edge.

Iruka stepped out from under the overhanging rock, back into daylight.  He looked skyward, judged the time quickly with an ease borne from being outdoors, and sprung up into the nearest tree, with Inu behind close behind him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was dusk the next day when Iruka slowed his pace, dropping down from the tree canopy to the ground.  Inu was not far behind, feet touching the ground seconds later.  “Kurohyou?”

Iruka turned to face Inu.  “We’re about five miles from Konoha,” he explained unnecessarily; Inu would know that.  Iruka felt the urge to babble suddenly and fought to remain calm.  He wondered how Inu felt now, at the last moment of freedom, before he submitted to Iruka.  “Please surrender your sword to me, Inu-san.”

Inu simply nodded and reached up, hesitating momentarily, before pulling it free from its place on his back.  As he brought it down, he twisted the sword in his grip, until it lay on both his palms, held like an offering.  He stepped forward, dropped his head, and presented the katana to Iruka.  Iruka recognized the gravity of surrendering your weapon to an opponent, and grasped the saya with one hand, also bowing.  Inu released his hold on his weapon and moved back, allowing Iruka to stow the weapon across his back, next to his own.

“I have to restrain you.  There will be patrols about and they would question why I don’t have you under guard.”

Inu nodded tersely, but didn’t move.  Iruka pulled out a pair of handcuffs, half expecting Inu to make a joke, but he remained silent, simply holding out both gloved hands.  Iruka snapped the cuffs on; they were connected with a thick bar that kept a prisoner’s hands a good twelve inches apart, making it nigh impossible to form seals.  Then he moved forward and locked a collar around Inu’s neck, threading a chain from the ring in the collar through to the cuffs, severely limiting his movement.  Iruka knew what was coming next; it was possible Inu wasn’t expecting it.  He made three signs, activating the chakra-dampening in the collar and Inu sagged forward with a curse, only keeping his footing through shear will alone.  When a ninja is used to relying on chakra for everything, it can be devastating to remove that skill.  Most people simply crumpled but Inu _wasn’t_ most people. 

“Is that all you have, Kurohyou?” Inu’s tone was biting, but Iruka realized it was mostly for show and to hide whatever he was really feeling.

“Not quite.” Iruka pulled out a length of chakra wire and attached that to the collar, holding the other end in his hand.  “Now you’re leashed.  Please be good.”

“And if I don’t?” Inu’s tone was curious, but flat.

“This is electricity-conducting chakra wire and is designed to fry a prisoner’s nervous system.  It bloody hurts, trust me. I’ve seen grown men piss themselves, and I’d rather not have that image of my lover, if you don’t mind.”

“Noted, but it probably won’t work on me.”  He shrugged.  “We should move out.”

Iruka paused for a moment.  “Kakashi, are you – “

“Kurohyou.”  Inu’s voice was rough, probably because he was still fighting to equalize the effects of suddenly having zero chakra available.  “We shouldn’t keep the Hokage waiting.”

Iruka realized that a heart-to-heart was not going to be forthcoming.  In Inu’s mind, they’d said, and done, everything that was important already.  This was now business, not pleasure.  He nodded, to show he understood.  “Let’s go.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka led them unerringly to the ANBU secret entrance, which was located on the back side of the Hokage Mountain, hidden in the foothills just outside the village.  This section was deeply forested, and the ANBU encouraged civilians and regular nin to keep their distance.  Once they were cleared, Iruka slipped through the guarded door, keeping a death grip on Inu’s leash.  If the ANBU at the gateway were surprised, they didn’t say so, or telegraph anything through body language.  The gossip would come later; once they were off duty.  They crossed through a number of passageways, finally coming to another door.  It was unassuming, hidden in darkness, and discouraged curiosity.  This was the entrance to the _Oinin Butai_ compound, shrouded in secrecy and off limits even to ANBU.  Inu was silent, merely following in Iruka’s wake.  The silence between them was tense; their relationship had morphed into one of captive and jailer, not comrades or lovers, and the past seemed suddenly tenuous and fragile, ready to disintegrate.

Iruka stopped when he reached the first cell, Inu pausing two steps behind him, the leash payed out as far as it would go.  He keyed a switch and the lights came on, flickering twice, three times before staying lit.  Inside was a single, hard ledge that held a folded blanket and a pillow, but nothing else.  The types of prisoners the _Oinin Butai_ had on occasion were professional shinobi, and could make a weapon out of anything given half the chance.  Iruka raised his hands and sped through a number of signs, unlocking the door.  He turned to Inu and unclipped the leash, standing to the side and watching as he entered.  No keys here; that was basically inviting a shinobi to make a break for it.  Each lock was opened with a specific chakra signature, meaning that the only way to get out of a cell was to persuade your jailer to open the door, or that, if you somehow managed to coerce a guard, you’d need to keep them alive long enough to spring the lock from the outside.

“Impressive fail-safes,” Inu said grudgingly with a nod as the door closed, locking him in.

“I have to check in with the Hokage,” Iruka explained.  There was so much more he wanted to say, but he knew they were being watched.  It was likely that Inu had already come to the same conclusion.

“I’ll be here,” Inu replied.  He crossed to the bunk and sat down, folding his legs beneath him, settling back against the wall.

Iruka could feel his jaw tighten beneath the mask and barely resisted the urge to scream.  Instead, he turned on his heel and walked away, back ramrod straight, and tried not to shatter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You have the prisoner?” 

Iruka knelt before the Hokage, head down.  He couldn’t meet her gaze; didn’t trust himself at this point.  He nodded.

“Kurohyou, stand up.”  Tsunade sounded irritated.  When Iruka gained his feet, she was sitting at her desk, fingers laced under her chin.  She looked murderous.  “Well? Is Tatsu dead? Report, shinobi.”

“The target is dead,” Iruka replied in a monotone.  “I tracked her to Water Country where we engaged her on a small island.  The firefight was drawn out and the outcome might have been markedly different if Inu-san had not showed up.”

“Noted.”  Tsunade’s gaze bore into Iruka’s, clearly waiting for something.

After a few moments Iruka collected himself and removed the holding scroll from his pouch.  He moved forward, placed it on the Hokage’s desk, and then stepped back, bowing.  “The traitor’s head, Godaime-sama, as requested.”

“Well done, shinobi.”  Tsunade paused for a moment, sizing Iruka up, considering.  Her eyes flashed angrily.  “I feel like we are having two separate conversations here at the same time.  Is there something you wish to say – off the record?”

Iruka bit his lip; he felt the familiar coppery warmth of blood, along with a reckless anger rising rapidly to the surface.  “Inu did what he felt was the best course of action, Hokage-sama.  Punishing him for completing a mission would be a mistake.”

“It was not his mission to complete!” Tsunade roared.  She stood up so quickly that her chair fell backward with a clatter and she slammed both hands on the desk.  Iruka refused to flinch or show weakness, staring her down.  “I expect complete and _total_ loyalty from every shinobi in this village.  Inu ignored a direct order and then left the village, knowing full well the consequences of his actions! I _will not_ have my shinobi running off and doing whatever they feel like, even if it seems like it is the right course of action at the time.”

“That may be so; but – _off the record_ – a certain person once said ‘ _those who break the rules are regarded as scum. But, those who abandon their comrades are even worse than scum_.’”

“Kurohyou, I do not need you to quote Hatake Kakashi at me!” She slammed her fist down on the desk and the wood splintered, enough to leave a dent in the surface.  “If you have nothing else useful to say, you’re dismissed!”

“Yes, Hokage-sama.”  Iruka bowed.

“Wait – I’m not done with you yet,” Tsunade bellowed.  “Inu’s trial is set for tomorrow morning at nine.  You know what needs to be done.  Do not fail me, Kurohyou.”

“Yes, Hokage-sama.”  Iruka made a final bow and strode from the room.  He could feel the prickle of cold sweat between his shoulder blades, her gaze boring into his back like the impending strike from a sharp knife.  Part of him realized he’d said things he could never take back, but another part of him acknowledged that he’d had to.  Another part of him was glad he was still walking, and that the Hokage hadn’t put him in hospital.  That was at least one thing to be thankful for in the middle of this clusterfuck of a situation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka didn’t sleep at all, tossing and turning as the hours wore away.  He spent the night thinking about Inu in the cell, wondering if he was also staring into the dark.  Was he wondering the same thing; if, as the sun rose, it might be his last day?  Iruka staggered from bed around six and took a shower, trying to clear his head.  Whatever had been decided, he owed it to Inu to make sure everything was perfect, as befitting a high-ranking member of ANBU.  His resolve strengthened with his decision and he felt part of Iruka slipping away once more, Kurohyou coming a little to the fore.

Toweling off his hair, Iruka draped the towel over his shoulders and pulled open the chest containing his hunter-nin gear.  He’d had to get new arm guards and gloves as he’d never found his, but fortunately he’d rescued his footwear.  It was almost impossible to break in a good pair of ANBU boots.  He dug deeper into the chest, moving spare sets of uniform to the side, until he found what he was looking for.  As he’d told Inu, there had only been four instances of a trial in ten years, and Iruka had been present for all of them.  In cold blood and under orders, he’d severed the head of his prisoner with a single, clean, blow to the neck, all while wearing this mask.  He pulled it free, staring into the black eye sockets.  It was a replica of his mask, but with a slight difference; upon the black face of it was a single red slash across each cheek and a vertical one down the middle of the forehead.  It made the mask look fierce, and Iruka was uncomfortable staring at it.  Beneath the mask was a ceremonial sword, but he would not carry that today.  His sword – the one he used daily – had seen action beside Inu’s; they had bloodied blades together, and he would carry that instead as a reminder.  If he was forced to carry out orders, he would do so with a familiar weapon in his hands, tradition be damned.  The only concession he made was to tie a red cord around the handle.

He dressed carefully, making sure each of the red bandages were wound correctly around his thigh and his biceps, and finally pulled up the cloth mask.  He crouched down, picked up the mask and slipped it on, his gaze sliding from the red markings as if he could pretend they weren’t there.  His final action was to slide his blade into the holster on his back before he formed seals, reappearing outside the ANBU compound.

The mood was tense already as he appeared, both guards at rigid attention at the gate.  Usually one of them would have something to say, to greet him, but today it was so silent you could hear the wind blowing in the trees.  Iruka nodded to both men and strode silently through the compound, slipping to the side and into the bowels of the building.  His chakra activated the lock into the _Oinin Butai_ compound and, shortly, he was traversing the long corridor toward the holding cells.  He stopped before Inu’s cell, not surprised to find him in almost the same position as he’d left him last night, sitting cross-legged with his back to the wall. 

“Kurohyou.” Inu slid gracefully to his feet, no sign of nervousness present, simply the gesture of a man who knew his body and its limits, and who worked no harder than he had to until he called on the vast strength at his disposal.  A true predator, but with a difference; one caught in a deadly trap.

“Inu-san.” The honorific came naturally to Iruka, and it felt like all those months ago, when they’d run missions together occasionally but as mostly strangers.  Before everything had changed when Iruka had stumbled on Inu jerking off under a tree to his name.  It seemed like years ago, not months.  Iruka’s stomach tightened uncomfortably with something akin to raw grief.  He knew the signs; had seen it in others affected by the loss of someone close. He was on the point of breaking.

“I’m not dead yet, Kurohyou-san,” Inu drawled.  Surprised, Iruka barked out a laugh and the tension broke.  “I’ve not seen that mask before,” Inu continued, cocking his head to the side.  “Ceremonial?”

“Yes.”  Iruka couldn’t trust himself to speak more than one word at a time.

Inu nodded.  “Shall we get on with it?”  He gestured to the door.

Iruka wanted to say something; should have had something meaningful planned out but, in the end, there was nothing to say that hadn’t been said already with a hundred little gestures and touches between them.  Instead, he formed seals and released the chakra-bound lock, stepping to the side to let Inu slip past.  He uncoiled chakra wire and clipped it to Inu’s collar and, with a final nod, led him back up the passageway and turned right, and then down another corridor, up a set of stairs, until they emerged into the bright lights of a small, windowless circular room.  He stopped in the center, before a curved table.  Around the outside of the room stood four members of the _Oinin Butai_ , also in ceremonial gear, standing to parade attention in honor of the prisoner.

Minutes passed and the atmosphere stretched thin, before a door behind the table opened and the Godaime appeared, dressed in the Hokage robes she detested.  Inoichi-san followed, one arm supporting Ibiki of all people.  Privately, Iruka had expected that Ibiki would have been a no-show due to his accident, but clearly the thought of an honest-to-god _Oinin Butai_ trial had dragged him out of his bed, the bastard.  Last through the door were Genma and Raidou, and for a moment Iruka was surprised, until he remembered that they’d now been reinstated as the Hokage’s personal guard since the threat from Rock was concluded.  As the Hokage sat, Ibiki and Inoichi took seats to either side, and Genma and Raidou stood behind the Hokage’s chair.

Silence stretched for a moment; not a single person moved, until Inu dropped to one knee, manacled hands touching the floor.  He bowed his head, bright light shining on his silver hair, casting his ANBU mask into shadow.  Iruka took a deep breath and stepped closer to Inu.  He removed the chakra wire from the collar, rewound it, and moved back until he was standing just a few steps behind Inu on his left side.  Inu’s shoulders tensed and Iruka suspected it was the only sign of nerves Inu would show; his Sharingan was on his left side, and when it was closed it made him effectively blind on that side.  Iruka was in his blind spot and he couldn’t react to whatever move Iruka might make.

Iruka faced forward and pulled his blade, dropping it down in a swift, clean arc behind Inu, until the point touched the concrete floor inches from Inu’s foot.  It made a _snicking_ sound as the blade met the concrete, but Inu didn’t respond.  Iruka would not move until instructed to do so; if the outcome was death, he would shift to face his prisoner and deliver a clean blow.  Until then he would face the Hokage, merely a tool waiting to be used.

“Inu.  You have disobeyed a direct order from your Hokage,” Tsunade barked.  Her anger had not abated from last night, and Iruka wondered if he had actually made the situation worse with the words he had thrown at her.  “Not only did you disobey my orders, you left the village shortly afterward, knowing full well the consequences of your actions.  You have betrayed Konoha. Do you have anything to add before I pronounce judgement?”

“No, Hokage-sama. It is as you have said.”

Iruka wanted to say something, to find some way to get it through Inu’s thick fucking skull that he was possibly signing his own death sentence by not even bothering to defend his actions.  What idiot did that?  Inu’s shoulder twitched and Iruka knew that, even if he hadn’t spoken, Inu somehow had guessed what he was thinking. 

Silence prevailed; an unspoken battle of wills between the Hokage and the man in front of her on his knees.  It was clear that Inu was not going to give her what she wanted, and the air became rarified with killing intent.  A couple of Iruka’s fellow _Oinin Butai_ shifted against the wall and he glanced at Genma, and then Raidou.  Genma switched his senbon to the other side of his mouth and raised an eyebrow, clearly uncomfortable but not going to show it.

Tsunade sighed deeply.  “Inu,” she growled.  “You will remove your mask.”

Iruka paused, grip shifting on the handle of his sword.  This was clearly not part of the scheduled events and the atmosphere in the room shifted to one of curiosity and consternation.  _Oh fuck_ , Iruka thought. He hoped to god she wasn’t going to make him execute _Hatake Kakashi_ in front of witnesses as some strange kind of example.  Executing a masked ANBU, someone who was anonymous, was one thing. Killing a well-known jounin was entirely another.

Inu paused, clearly confused, momentarily at a loss.  He reached up with shackled hands and pulled on the cord holding his mask in place.  He raised his head, staring at the Godaime as he pulled the mask free, exposing his true self.

Muttering circled the room; those already in the know like Ibiki and Inoichi merely frowned and, judging by Genma’s non-response, he already knew too. 

The Hokage stood up, her chair scraping back violently.  The sound was jarring and set Iruka’s teeth on edge.  “Hatake Kakashi,” she began. “You will explain yourself.  That is a _direct_ order and you will obey me.”

“Godaime-sama, it was never my intent to purposely disobey you, to turn traitor to the village. I would not have left Konoha if there had been another way.”  Kakashi’s voice sounded rough, the inflection even and without emotion. “From the start, Kurohyou-san and I had completed this mission together as a team; it was right that we should conclude it together.”  Kakashi turned his head enough that he could see Iruka for a moment, and then he turned to face the Hokage again.  “As a member of the _Oinin Butai,_ Kurohyou-san was more than capable of completing the mission alone, but the traitor, Tatsu, was also part of my previous ANBU team; I knew her strengths and weaknesses well.  I trained her; I have to shoulder at least part of the blame of turning her into the professional killer that she turned out to be.”  Kakashi paused to let his words sink in.  “On more than one occasion since she became missing-nin, she attempted to harm the rest of my remaining ANBU squad, almost killing one of them using a forbidden jutsu stolen from Konoha. It was my duty, and mine alone, as her captain, to remove her as a threat.”  He paused, either for effect or because he was thinking through what he wanted to say, Iruka wasn’t sure. 

One fact was staring everyone blandly in the face, however, now that they knew who Inu really was.  Everyone was well acquainted with the mission to Kannabi Bridge during the Third Shinobi War, and how the mission had gone to shit fast, resulting in the death of Kakashi’s subordinate and one-time friend, Uchiha Obito.  The story was the stuff of legends and chewed over by genin teams and chuunin alike; a textbook example of how _not_ to run a mission.  With his words, Kakashi was citing the need for teamwork, how important it was and, without realizing it, echoing Iruka’s words to the Hokage last night.

If the Godaime had intended to embarrass Kakashi while he was on his knees before her, bound and under threat of execution, she had succeeded magnificently, all without uttering a single word.  However, it was apparent that this brought her no joy, and her face was a mask of simmering rage, her eyes flashing.

“Hatake, you have no idea how close you have pushed me to exercising my right of life and death over you; my _subordinate_ ,” Tsunade hissed.  “As Hokage, I hold the wellbeing of every shinobi in this village in my hands.  Every time I send a shinobi out on a mission, there is a possibility they will not come back.  I chose to send Kurohyou out, based on his experience and knowledge.  How _dare_ you question my decision _and_ my authority!”

The silence was total in the small room.  When Kakashi spoke again, everyone was listening.  “I recognize your authority as absolute, Hokage-sama,” he replied.  “I place myself at your mercy.”

Iruka blanched behind the mask; finally, it was Kakashi’s admission of guilt.  He was indeed at her mercy, depending on how she chose to exercise it. 

Tsunade sunk back into her chair – once Raidou had rescued it from where it had been pushed back – and bit her lip, lacing her fingers together under her chin.  She stared at Kakashi, at the top of his bowed head, content to hold him in suspense along with everyone else in the room.  The question was, was his acceptance of total submission to her will going to be enough?

Long moments stretched, until Iruka thought he could no longer stand the suspense.  He shifted his grip again on his sword, fingers stiff from clenching the handle so hard.

“The truth is, Hatake, that, because of your Sharingan and abilities, you are one of Konoha’s more valuable assets; yours is a skillset I need to utilize, especially with the threat of constant invasion hanging over our heads.” Tsunade leaned forward, both hands resting on the table.  She glared at Kakashi.  “ _Do not_ , however, think that this means you are getting off lightly.  You are hereby discharged from ANBU.  You will return to being a jounin of the Leaf Village.  You will take up your previous position, you will make yourself visible to civilian and shinobi alike, and you will be your usual lazy and annoying porn-reading self in public.  You will undertake missions like the valuable member of this village that you are and, when Uzumaki Naruto returns in a few months, you _will_ undertake to be his teacher once more.  Am I clear?”  This last was punctuated with a slap of her hand on the table; it creaked ominously.

“Yes, Hokage-sama,” Kakashi acknowledged in a hoarse voice.

“You are dismissed.  Kurohyou!”

Iruka nodded and sheathed his blade.  He felt lightheaded; a million thoughts battering through his head in quick succession.  No doubt Kakashi felt the same.  He pulled himself together and, as Kakashi stood, offering the Hokage another bow, Iruka reached out and flashed through signs, releasing the chakra-dampening effects on the collar.  With shaking fingers, he unlocked it and then did the same with the cuffs, letting them fall away.  He had tunnel vision, borne of stark relief, that he hadn’t had to execute his lover, hadn’t had to betray his trust.  He felt a quick brush of Kakashi’s fingers against his wrist and then he stood back.  The Hokage gave one last look over her shoulder and swept from the room, her entourage following in her wake.

“Don’t give into it yet, Kurohyou,” Kakashi said in a low voice.  “Hold it together for a few minutes more.”

Iruka nodded and, as soon as the Hokage had left, gestured to Kakashi and then followed him out.  They walked down a corridor, Iruka blindly trailing behind Kakashi, until Kakashi spied an empty room.  He grabbed Iruka’s arm and pulled him inside, slamming the door shut.  Iruka felt gloved fingers against his face, pulling off his porcelain mask, then the cloth one, and he took a shuddering breath of clean, cold air.  He felt arms wrap around him, pull him closer into a tight embrace, and Iruka finally let himself go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a few moments, Kakashi pushed Iruka up against the nearest level surface, which happened to be a table.  He placed a hand firmly on Iruka’s head, gently pushing down.  “Put your head between your knees,” he said calmly.  “It will pass.  Breathe through it.”

Iruka put his hands on his knees and attempted to center himself, squeezing his eyes shut.  He concentrated on breathing deeply, trying to still his heart, which seemed to be hammering in his chest.  After a few minutes he felt his heartrate slowing; it was easier to concentrate now, to calm the jumble of thoughts in his brain saying _what if, could have been_.  After a few moments more he opened his eyes, surprised to find Kakashi kneeling next to him at eye level, his mask down and face bare.  Kakashi’s hand was still resting on his head, and he ran his fingers through Iruka’s hair, down to the nape of his neck.  It was comforting, a gesture a parent might make to calm a child.

“Better?” Kakashi murmured.

“A little.”  Iruka took another breath and attempted a weak smile.  “I’m pretty sure I’ve taken a decade off my life in the last hour.”

“Same here.”

Iruka took a couple more deep breaths and then slowly righted himself.  Kakashi followed him up and, when he was sure Iruka was okay, moved to the side and leaned a hip against the table, crossing his arms casually.  “Please remind me not to piss off the Hokage again,” Kakashi said eventually.

Iruka sighed, glad that Kakashi was glossing over the last few minutes, allowing him to normalize his thinking and emotions.  Conversation often helped with that; made it easier to focus on something else.  “I suppose she had to make her point, especially after the attempted invasion from Rock.  The village has to be united, everyone working together in a common goal, and having lone shinobi go off and do their own thing cannot be tolerated, especially one of your rank and position.  She needed you to publicly submit to her authority in order to prove that.”

Kakashi hummed as if he was agreeing with Iruka.  “I also think she intended to place Naruto back under my tutelage upon his return anyway.” Iruka snorted incredulously and Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

“What?” Iruka said.  “I’d hardly call your teaching technique _normal_. Not by any stretch of the imagination.  Still, if you can teach him to stay alive that’s all that counts.”

Kakashi’s only concession to Iruka’s words was to move closer and press his hip against Iruka’suntil they were shoulder to shoulder, taking strength from each other.  “ _As_ I was saying,” Kakashi continued, pausing for effect, “Tsunade was probably looking for a legitimate reason to pull me out of ANBU so I could watch over Naruto.  I played right into her hands; I gave her a reason to discharge me – to _demote_ me – and to put me back in the role of jounin-sensei.  She’s probably in her office right now, cracking open a bottle of sake and toasting both of us.”

“And here I thought it was the words I threw at her last night, when I handed in my mission scroll,” Iruka muttered.

“Oh?” Kakashi swiveled enough to look at Iruka closely.  “What did you say?”

Iruka felt his cheeks heat a little and cursed the fact he was maskless, and that Kakashi could see every emotion written across his face.  “I might have thrown your words back at her,” he hedged.

“Which ones?”

“Ah, when you said anyone who abandons a comrade is scum.” Out of the moment, it seemed a childish thing to do, but Iruka had meant every word he’d said at the time.  

Kakashi laughed then; a full laugh, throwing his head back.  After a few moments he wiped at his good eye, miming removing a tear.  “By the gods, that’s priceless.  I would have paid money to be present for that.”

“See if I defend you again at the potential loss of life and limb,” Iruka groused.  “She almost broke her desk again.  I’m lucky it wasn’t my head.”

Kakashi leaned in closer, until his head was almost resting on Iruka’s shoulder.  “You never cease to amaze me, Umino Iruka.  Do me a favour and never change, okay?”

“I suppose I might be able to manage that.”  Iruka pushed at Kakashi gently, until he was upright again.  “Speaking of sake, can we go change out of these damn uniforms and go get a drink?  I think I could do with one. Let’s celebrate freedom by getting toasted like all good shinobi do.”

“I like that idea,” Kakashi agreed.  He reached out, tugging Iruka closer, and rested one hand on Iruka’s hip and the other around his waist.  He leaned closer, until their foreheads were almost touching, cheek to cheek.  “But I have a much better way to forget everything that’s happened during the last couple of days. The potential downside is that you’re definitely going to need a shower afterward,” he whispered in Iruka’s ear. 

Iruka felt a jolt of lust as his mind helpfully supplied him with an image of just what that might entail.

“Ahh, now who’s the pervert?” Kakashi said, pulling away just enough that Iruka could see him wink.

“Don’t make me hurt you,” Iruka pointed out huskily.  “Naruto or no, I will do it if you push me far enough.”

“Promises, promises, _sensei_.” 

Kakashi stepped backward and took Iruka’s hand, turning it over and smoothing his thumb across Iruka’s palm, sending a curl of heat through Iruka’s belly.  He looked up; both mismatched eyes open for once, allowing Iruka to see Kakashi as he truly was; the real person behind all the masks, both physical and emotional. 

Iruka thought he quite liked what he saw.

 

_The end._

 


	21. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right then... here it is. The final chapter. Now I can mark this sucker complete! (Although I can pretty much guarantee this isn't the last we've seen of these two!)
> 
> Thanks again to you all, it's been a lot of fun. Enjoy all the porny goodness! 
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Kakashi, I –“

Both Iruka and Kakashi heard the rattle of the door handle at the same time; both instinctively reached out and pulled up their cloth masks, hiding their identities – for what it was worth.

Considering the only person attempting to open the door would be a shinobi, especially down there in the bowels of the _Oinin Butai_ compound, they were very loud, which only meant one thing; someone knew they were in here, and was giving them valuable seconds to arrange themselves.

“Ladies.”  Ibiki shouldered his way through the partly open door.  Inoichi was making a valiant effort to keep Ibiki upright and from falling flat on his face, which was probably hard work considering the amount of bandaging still covering the man.

“Ibiki-san, Inoichi-san.”  Iruka rolled his eyes internally but, judging by Ibiki’s face, he knew damn well what Iruka was doing.

“Good work,” Ibiki said grudgingly after a few moments.  He glanced from Iruka to Kakashi and back again, then smirked.  “Sorry to interrupt your heart-to-heart, but the Hokage wants a word with you, Kurohyou.  _Hatake_ , you’re mine for the next few minutes.”

Iruka knew when he was dismissed.  He’d finally gotten what he wanted, but not the thing he _desired_.  Ibiki was a fucking cockblocker, and he knew it.  So did Inoichi by the looks of things; he was doing his level best to not make eye contact with anyone in the room.

“I’ll catch up with you shortly, Kakashi,” Iruka said. He bowed to both Ibiki and Inoichi, and left Kakashi to deal with Ibiki. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An hour later, Iruka was finally free; in more ways than one.  Tsunade had officially released him from his duties with the _Oinin Butai_ – for now.  There was always the understanding that he would be called back when the next traitor made a run for it.  Iruka wouldn’t have it any other way; the _Oinin Butai_ had been his life – albeit secret – for so long that he couldn’t imagine it differently, and he wouldn’t change it either.  His Will of Fire ran deeply, and he believed wholeheartedly in Konoha and what it stood for.  Now, he could look forward to returning to the Academy, and putting the fear of god back in his class.  Kazue was a great substitute teacher, but they were _his_ kids and he was looking forward to teaching them again.

Iruka exited the Hokage tower and stood for a moment in the courtyard, basking in the relative normalcy of the day; it was a bit shocking after this morning’s events.  A couple of shinobi slowed, nodding to him before resuming their journeys.  In his hunter-nin gear, he was a single spot of fierce, masked blackness amongst the uniforms of leaf-green; a reminder of what might happen to those who broke with the Will of Fire.  Shinobi parted around him like waves against an immovable rock, choosing to go around him rather than come close enough to engage him.  Iruka was used to it; he often used it to his advantage in the field.

A familiar small dog was trotting toward him, weaving through the crowds; Pakkun.  He slowed when he spotted Iruka and then changed direction, stopping at Iruka’s feet.

“Pakkun,” Iruka offered a greeting.  “What brings you here?”

“Kurohyou,” Pakkun said gruffly.  “Kakashi sent me with a note.” He gestured over his shoulder, and Iruka noticed the scroll holder strapped to his back.

Iruka reached down and removed the scroll.  He was going to ruffle Pakkun’s fur but thought better of it once he noticed Pakkun’s glare, daring him to try.  He stood up, holding the scroll loosely in his hand.

“Before you open that,” Pakkun said, pointing with one paw, “don’t shoot the messenger.  Whatever perverted stuff he put in there, I had nothing to do with it. The only reason I’m doing this is because he bribed me with a steak.”

Iruka raised an eyebrow and then realized he was wearing his porcelain mask, and that Pakkun couldn’t see his face.  “I’m sure it’s not that bad.”

“You have no idea some of the bullshit Hatake can spout,” Pakkun said sourly.  “Still, it’s your choice.”  He shrugged.

Slowly, Iruka unrolled the scroll.  The missive was short and to the point.  It said: _By the end of the day, you will surrender your_ sword _to me, willingly._ It was signed with the henohenomoheji symbol.

Iruka felt a mixture of desire and irritation flash through him.  He may have made a noise that sounded a bit like an undignified squeak; he wasn’t sure.  Pakkun lifted an ear, but made no comment.  Slowly, the ninken swiveled his head and Iruka followed his gaze.  Kakashi was leaning against the far wall, still in his ANBU gear, but without his familiar dog mask.  That was gone forever; he would never wear it as Inu again.  He had retrieved his sword though; that was something that Ibiki couldn’t refuse.  A shinobi would rather part with a leg than his weapon and Ibiki knew it.

Kakashi had the gall to wave; it was a silly gesture, so _him_. He cocked his head to the side and then vanished in a loud puff of smoke, leaving behind a rather showy vortex of leaves.  “I will kill him,” Iruka growled.

“Well, I’m off,” Pakkun said, sounding unconcerned.  “You’re the hunter-nin; I’m sure you can track him.”  With that, Pakkun vanished as well, leaving Iruka standing in the middle of the courtyard, alone.

_I’m sure you can track him._   Iruka grit his teeth and then smirked.  _You will surrender your sword to me_.  So… Kakashi wanted to play cat and dog, did he?  God, it was almost irritating, but at the same time, Iruka could feel that familiar excitement associated with a good, hard chase.  And this one promised to have a rather… _interesting_ … ending. 

Iruka grinned again, formed seals, and vanished.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka was running.  Kakashi was clearly not going to make this an easy game; if he’d been for real, and Iruka was hunting him, he would be using every single one of his available skillsets.  As it was, Kakashi was being just crafty enough to keep Iruka on his toes.  After the first hour, Iruka had tracked him far out into the woods surrounding Konoha.  He’d stopped to take a soldier pill; he hadn’t had any decent sleep for at least a week, if not more.  He’d been tortured, fought a battle to the death, and then had a hard, fast run back to Konoha shortly afterward.  Kakashi couldn’t have been faring much better and, if Iruka knew Kakashi, he’d probably popped a soldier pill too. 

Iruka leapt to the side to avoid a kunai.  Kakashi wasn’t aiming to kill, only to keep Iruka on his toes.  Iruka grinned manically; he was enjoying this game.  Movement from his left had Iruka swiveling to the side in midair, pushing off the trunk of a tree and changing his trajectory to meet Kakashi, kunai out.  They clashed and burst apart, Iruka slashing with the kunai, but not before he felt a definite caress of Kakashi’s hand across his hip.  Kakashi burst into water; it was another damn clone.

_Two can play that game_ , Iruka thought, forming seals. 

He left two clones to reconnoiter and spend off in another direction.  He’d lost count of how many bunshin Kakashi had sent his way.  He wasn’t using Kage Bunshin; that would be pointless outside of a true battle scenario. But the bunshin were numerous and clearly just as horny as the original. Every time one got close enough to engage Iruka it would leave a caress before it dissipated, ramping up the tight feeling of desire simmering in Iruka’s belly. It reminded Iruka of the night of the Autumn Festival, and he wondered if that had been Kakashi as well, spawning random clones designed to look like other people, touching him as he moved past them.  It definitely put that evening in a different light.

 The clones were getting bolder too; engaging with taijutsu and then weapons, dancing close to Iruka’s sword on his back, toying with him.  Kakashi _did_ want his sword, that much was clear.  He also wanted Iruka.

Iruka picked up Kakashi’s trail again; he was circling around towards the forest nearest the north end of the village.  There was a single broken twig, a tattered leaf, the only marker to Kakashi’s passing.  No wonder he’d survived so long as an elite shinobi; he was incredibly hard to track and Iruka was impressed.

He was impressed right up until he sprung some kind of complicated wire trap; it pulled him from the branches – at speed, since he’d been moving fast – and half dragged him to the ground.  Iruka braced, slowing his speed while he fucked with the wire that had snared him.  He got free, twisted, pulled a kunai to slash away the final strands of wire, and then felt the glance from a passing kunai; it wasn’t his.  He jerked to the side, flipped over backwards for a smooth landing, and completely missed the chakra wire with a tiny lead weight on the end that wrapped around his wrist.  _Shit_ , he thought before he felt, rather than saw, Kakashi move; he was that fast.  Iruka’s back met the tree trunk hard, and Kakashi was suddenly right there, pressed against him with his full body weight, pinning him in place.  He pulled Iruka’s arms above his head, crossed at the wrists, and finished securing him to the tree with the chakra wire, careful not to do further damage to his forearms.

“Caught you,” Kakashi said, leaning back enough that Iruka could see his masked face.  Kakashi pulled down the mask and grinned in that endearing, lopsided way he had.  Iruka felt his heartrate increase, and cursed internally.  “You are _really_ hard to corner,” Kakashi continued conversationally.  “And you don’t give up, either.  No wonder you’re a hunter-nin.”

Iruka attempted to bring his knee up, just because.  Kakashi had apparently learned his lesson well after Water Country, and simply slipped a knee between Iruka’s to stall his movement.  “Ah ah, none of that.  Are you going to surrender?”

“Not bloody likely.  You’re going to have to do a lot better than a few horny clones feeling me up,” Iruka pointed out. 

Kakashi grinned again and reached up to remove Iruka’s panther mask.  He tossed it to the side, ignoring Iruka’s glare of disapproval, and then removed Iruka’s cloth mask.  His face turned serious, mismatched eyes staring at Iruka.  Iruka found the Sharingan hard to look at; it felt like it was searching into his soul, exposing all his secrets.  Kakashi reached up a hand and caressed Iruka’s jaw, his fingertips trailing across Iruka’s lips.  Iruka sighed softly, parted his lips, and licked at one of Kakashi’s fingers.  Kakashi seemed startled, then he smirked.  It was part mischief, part lust and pure excitement.  Iruka felt a surge of tight _need_ wash through his body, heating his cheeks.  And then Kakashi was kissing him, the soft press of his lips warm against Iruka’s.

Iruka made a small noise of surprise in the back of his throat and then parted his lips, his eyes fluttering closed as Kakashi deepened the kiss, tilting his head for a better angle.  He licked his way into Iruka’s mouth, gently at first, then becoming bolder as Iruka pressed himself against Kakashi’s firm, muscular body.  Kakashi was hard, his dick pressing into Iruka’s hip, and Iruka moved forward, trying for more contact.  Kakashi’s hand moved to the nape of his neck to hold him still, and Iruka felt a surge of almost primitive excitement at the fact that he couldn’t get away, was bound and pinned against this _hunter_ who had trapped him; who was claiming him more thoroughly than he’d even been before, and just with a single, mind-blowing, kiss.

When Kakashi pulled away Iruka tried to follow; he wanted more.  He was panting, his heart thumping in his chest, breath coming short.  Kakashi let out a low chuckle and Iruka opened his eyes.  “Wow,” Kakashi said in a low, reverent tone, “that was worth the wait.  If I’d known you’d look like this after a kiss, I’d have said fuck it to the mask a long time ago.”  He moved his thumb across Iruka’s kiss-swollen lips, his breath hitching as Iruka swirled his tongue over Kakashi’s finger, sucking gently on the tip before pulling back, keeping eye contact, making it _very_ clear want he wanted to do.  Iruka didn’t trust himself to speak at the moment; doing things was better than saying them.  He rolled his hips again, pressing into Kakashi, making a point.  Kakashi’s breathing was a little ragged, and he moved his hands to Iruka’s hips, pushing him back against the tree and preventing him from moving.  He reached up, smoothing his palms up Iruka’s arms, then when he reached Iruka’s forearms he gentled, cognizant of the wounds still there from the barbed wire, the cut of Tatsu’s knife.  He flicked his wrist, unbuckling Iruka’s arm guard, then worked on the other.

Iruka had thought Kakashi was going to release his wrists from the wire, but apparently he had other plans, tossing each arm guard to join Iruka’s mask on the ground.  “Kakashi, what are you doing?”

Kakashi paused considering.  “Remember what I said to you the first time we had sex?”

Iruka was having problems functioning as it was; questions were not helping.  Kakashi smiled, clearly remembering. Now that Iruka could see that smile, it was devastating.

“I said I wanted my lips on your skin, your mouth on mine.  No masks, no clothes, just skin against skin.”  Kakashi returned his hands to Iruka’s hips, fingers tightening momentarily.  He moved, flipping Iruka around until he was facing the tree trunk, then he pressed his erection against Iruka’s ass, grinding down with a roll of his hips.  He leaned in, breath a hot wash against Iruka’s neck, fingers pushing his hair out of the way so he could nip at Iruka’s nape, sending tight shivers down Iruka’s spine.  His other hand was working at the button on Iruka’s pants, undoing the zipper, sliding his hand inside.  Iruka spread his legs and pushed into Kakashi’s hand, letting out a bitten off moan as Kakashi tightened his hand around Iruka’s erection, stroking slowly.  “Hmm, stop trying to be quiet,” Kakashi whispered against Iruka’s skin.  “We’re in the middle of nowhere; I want to hear you.”

“Fuck,” Iruka managed, letting his cheek rest against the bark, eyes closing.  He rolled his hips, finding an easy rhythm as Kakashi stroked him slowly, his fist loose.  It was a maddening sensation, but Iruka felt greedy, didn’t want it to stop, content for the moment to let Kakashi play with him.  Iruka felt Kakashi’s smile against his skin, and then his hand, and Kakashi’s weight, was gone.  Iruka opened his eyes and glanced back over his shoulder.

Kakashi reached for Iruka’s katana, pulling it free with a tug, and he stepped backward.  “I have your _sword_ , Kurohyou.  Do you submit?”

The supposed gravity of the situation was somewhat lessened by the fact that Iruka could see the color high in Kakashi’s cheeks, his eyes burning with lust and excitement, lips reddened.  His hair flopped rakishly over one eye, and he looked wild, feral.  Iruka had never felt so damned wound up, ever, which was saying a lot.  He bit his lip, saw Kakashi’s sharp gaze drop down to watch.  “Give me a reason to, Kakashi,” Iruka said huskily, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Kakashi placed Iruka’s katana to the side and rested his hands on Iruka’s hips, leaning in.  “Oh, Iruka, that was something you shouldn’t have said. I like a challenge.”  He smoothed his hands up Iruka’s sides, then began to unbuckle Iruka’s vest, undoing the straps and removing it.  He pushed up Iruka’s black shirt, exposing his back.  For a moment, Iruka tensed; very few people got to see the scar on his back, and only those of his friends he trusted implicitly.  Kakashi seemed to sense this, fingers moving gently across the scar tissue between his shoulder blades, only the sense of pressure enough to tell Iruka that Kakashi was touching him.  He pressed himself flush to Iruka’s back and pushed Iruka’s pants down, over his hips, exposing him to the air, cool against his heated skin.  He nipped at Iruka’s neck again; teasing.  “Do you remember what else I said that night?”

Iruka shook his head and pressed back against Kakashi.  It was maddening, being this close and partly naked while Kakashi was still fully dressed.  It was a power play on Kakashi’s part and it was incredibly erotic. 

“I said,” Kakashi nuzzled into Iruka’s hair, his hand smoothing across Iruka’s butt, fingers sliding downward, grazing over his hole, circling.  “I said, when I finally got you naked, I was going to fuck your ass with my tongue; nice and deep.  I said I was going to make you beg for my cock.”

Iruka swallowed, his throat dry suddenly at the thought.  Kakashi, however, was already gone, making good on his promise.  He dropped to his knees behind Iruka, pushing Iruka’s pants out of the way, and parted his ass.  Iruka felt hot breath on his skin, and then the startling touch of wetness as Kakashi swiped his tongue across Iruka’s hole.  Iruka made a noise in the back of his throat and spread his legs, urging Kakashi on with actions rather than words; he was well past feeling anything like embarrassment at this point.  Kakashi got the hint; taking his time, he worked Iruka open slowly, tongue pushing deeper as Iruka loosened up.  Iruka rocked back in time with Kakashi’s thrusts, and Kakashi’s hands tightened on his hips, holding him still.  Iruka rested his forehead on the tree, hands tightening into fists, his skin pulling against the chakra wire that still bound him.  His dick was throbbing, balls tightening with every deliberate thrust of Kakashi’s clever tongue.  He knew that if Kakashi kept up this up he would come.  “Kakashi, please,” Iruka gasped out. 

In response, Kakashi gave a final, slow swipe of his tongue and then moved back, resting on his knees.  He smoothed his hands down Iruka’s legs, unwinding the bandages around Iruka’s ankles, freeing them.  Then he turned Iruka around. 

Iruka flopped bonelessly against the tree.  Kakashi was smirking; clearly pleased with himself.  Iruka was sure he looked pretty wrecked, but Kakashi himself wasn’t helping.  If Kakashi was attractive on a regular day, a maskless Kakashi in an ANBU uniform should probably be banned for the sake of Konoha’s collective sanity. Iruka pretty much broke when Kakashi swiped his tongue up the length of Iruka’s cock, his back arching, hands fisting in an effort not to come right there.  Heat enveloped his erection, and he realized he’d shut his eyes.  He opened them, watching as Kakashi swallowed him down achingly slow, right to the root, and then he slid back up, swiping his tongue over the tip of Iruka’s cock.  He wrapped his hand around the base and moved down again, never breaking eye contact.  He grinned around a mouth full of Iruka’s cock and then got down to the business of seeing just how fast he could make Iruka completely lose it. 

It was almost obscene watching Kakashi, yet Iruka wouldn’t have looked away for the world.  The sight of Kakashi’s lips, stretched around him, the way he took him deeper, it was almost too much.  Kakashi pulled away long enough to slick up two fingers before returning to Iruka’s cock, and then those fingers were pressing against Iruka’s entrance.  Iruka relaxed, let Kakashi slide in knuckle deep, and the hot ache in his belly intensified.  Iruka thrust forward, couldn’t help himself, and then impaled himself back on those long, elegant fingers, repeating the process.  Kakashi took it all, let Iruka fuck his mouth, all the while his knowing expression saying _I’ll do the same to you when I’m done with you; all wrung out and unresisting_.

Iruka gasped; it was supposed to be a warning, but the words never made it to his lips.  He came as Kakashi thrust his fingers deep into Iruka’s ass, shooting hot seed down Kakashi’s throat, feeling the tightness as Kakashi swallowed around him.  Kakashi pulled back slowly, swiping his tongue one last time over the tip of Iruka’s dick, humming with satisfaction.  Iruka simply watched, panting for breath, as Kakashi gracefully rose to his feet, leaning in for a long, languid kiss.  Iruka opened, yielding without words, tasting himself on Kakashi’s tongue.  He felt fingers releasing the wire and Iruka dropped his arms over Kakashi’s shoulders, pulling him closer, threading his fingers through Kakashi’s hair. 

Iruka kicked off his shoes, then wiggled out of his pants, never breaking the kiss.  He heard Kakashi give a breathless laugh, finally helping out, so that when he was done, Iruka could hop up and wrap his legs around Kakashi’s waist.  Kakashi’s hand moved to his ass, stroking over his skin.  “Impatient?”

“Oh fuck yes,” Iruka responded.  “I want your cock in my ass, now.”

“Is that so?”

Iruka was on his back in the grass before he even had time to blink.  He pulled at Kakashi’s vest, flinging it to the side, along with his sword, and then began working on Kakashi’s pants while Kakashi pulled his tight ANBU shirt off.  He made a surprised noise when Iruka went straight for his dick and Kakashi leaned down for a languid kiss that became more heated once Iruka got a hand properly around his erection, stroking him firmly.  Kakashi was good at multi-tasking; while blowing Iruka’s mind with another kiss he was also working himself out of his pants, setting between Iruka’s legs.  Iruka broke the kiss to pull his own shirt off and then they were naked finally, skin against skin for the first time.  Kakashi dropped down to lick at one of Iruka’s nipples, and Iruka wrapped his legs around Kakashi’s hips, urging him forward with a moan, arching his back, displaying himself without shame to Kakashi’s intense gaze.

Kakashi pulled back and slowly smoothed his hand along Iruka’s flank, down to his hipbone.  “You are beautiful,” he said, sounding awed.  “I’ve waited a long time for this day.”

Iruka didn’t know what to say, so instead he reached up, pulling Kakashi down again for another kiss, trying to show him how he felt with actions instead of words.  He felt Kakashi’s cock slide between his ass, the blunt pressure making his breath hitch with impatience and anticipation. He tilted his hips, pushing onto Kakashi’s cock, loving the fullness and heat as Kakashi slid inside him.  Kakashi moaned then, the first time Iruka had heard him make a noise, and then he pulled back, thrusting forward in a long, slow glide until he was buried balls deep in Iruka’s ass.  Iruka wriggled, rolling his hips, urging Kakashi forward.  Kakashi held himself still above Iruka, head down, breathing deeply, the lean muscles in his arms trembling with the effort to hold himself still until Iruka adjusted.  After a few moments he looked up, met Iruka’s eyes, and smiled. 

“Fuck, Kakashi, _move_ ,” Iruka ground out.  He was fully hard again, the first round hadn’t taken the edge off at all; in a way, only made it worse. 

Kakashi pulled back slowly, still smirking, and then snapped his hips forward.  Iruka cried out at the intense pleasure, arching his back, grabbing hold of Kakashi’s biceps to ground himself.  Kakashi set a firm, punishing pace, sliding one hand under Iruka’s back to pull him closer.  Iruka wrapped his arm around Kakashi’s shoulder, the other digging blunt nails into his hip, then sliding across Kakashi’s ass.  The feel of those muscles moving, at the same time Kakashi fucked him open, was incredible.  Iruka held on for the ride, breath shortening as Kakashi’s did, placing mindless kisses on whatever skin he could reach.  And then Kakashi abruptly changed the pace, slowing down a little, his strokes longer, pausing when he was impossibly deep before almost pulling out, dragging his thick cock over Iruka’s prostate.  It was maddening, so frustrating that Iruka wanted to scream, to beg, to give in.

“Surrender,” Kakashi panted, meeting his gaze.  Kakashi’s bi-colored gaze was almost unnerving in its intensity, passionate.  “Submit and I’ll give you what you want.”

Iruka laughed breathlessly and Kakashi’s gaze sharpened, hips slamming forward enough to make Iruka white out with the intense pleasure.  Then he slowed the pace again, long, deep and so _not_ enough.  Iruka fisted his hand in Kakashi’s hair and tugged.  “Don’t stop.”

Kakashi shook his head.  “Not until you give me what I want.” He kept up the pace, pushing himself up onto his hands so he could watch Iruka, his eyes watching hungrily as Iruka strained beneath him.  His movements became gentler, so not what Iruka needed, until he was almost still, hips pulsing in minute movements, the head of his cock deep enough to hit that hungry place far inside Iruka.  “Let me in all the way, Iruka, deep,” Kakashi breathed.

Iruka, strung out and trembling, finally let go and Kakashi slid in the last inch; the inch that made all the difference.  It felt incredible and Iruka let out a shuddering breath, sweat prickling between his shoulder blades.  The slow burn that had been building in his belly intensified, becoming a sharp ache that demanded fulfillment.  He could feel every inch of Kakashi’s cock and he never wanted this to end.  Kakashi, however, had other plans.  He slid a hand under Iruka’s back and pulled him sharply into his lap, wrapping his arms around Iruka.  Iruka settled into his lap and rose up, rolling his hips, grinding down on Kakashi’s cock.  Kakashi nuzzled into his neck, just below Iruka’s ear, and grazed a long line down Iruka’s neck to his collar bone, at the same time thrusting upward.  The friction on Iruka’s cock, trapped between them, belly to belly, was perfect.  “Harder,” he gasped into Kakashi’s ear.

Kakashi was happy to oblige; pulling Iruka down onto every thrust, arms wrapped tightly around him, a stab of intense pleasure with every movement that made Iruka cry out.  “Hmm, that’s it, sensei; let me hear you,” Kakashi breathed.

Iruka was beyond worrying about how much noise he was making.  He was on edge, past caring, every stroke sending him higher, his muscles tensing, back arching, and then Kakashi kissed him, tongue sliding deep, lips bruising, swallowing Iruka’s final moan as he came.  Iruka felt Kakashi’s hot come inside him, cock pulsing, and Kakashi broke the kiss, a bitten off moan spilling from his lips as he ground deep inside Iruka, holding him in place.  Iruka turned boneless, slumping against Kakashi, his cock still throbbing with little aftershocks that made him gasp for breath.

Kakashi lowered them to the ground, still inside Iruka, and stretched out, his hair falling forward to obscure the Sharingan.  His forehead rested on Iruka’s shoulder, and Iruka could feel how fast Kakashi’s breath was coming, the beat of his heart, the way his body trembled with the aftereffects.

A few minutes passed; Iruka’s breathing returning to normal, and he felt Kakashi’s spent cock slide from his ass.  Neither moved, content to lie there in each other’s arms.  Iruka drifted; his body still on a high, his mind sated, and he stroked his hand through the mass of Kakashi’s hair, soothing.  Kakashi made a noise that sounded a bit like a grumble of contentment and stretched languidly; more like a cat than the dog he had been named after.  Mismatched eyes opened, watching Iruka, and Iruka smiled, grinning when Kakashi smiled back.

“Better?” Kakashi asked.

Iruka nodded.  “Now I could sleep for a week.”

Kakashi placed a kiss on Iruka’s shoulder.  “Me too.  That soldier pill hardly made a dent.”

Iruka laughed.  “You too, huh?”

Kakashi’s eyes were closing; he seemed satisfied for the moment to stay here and bask, and Iruka was more than happy to play along.  The sun was setting; slipping below the tree line and, even though it was cool, Iruka didn’t feel like moving just yet.  He felt Kakashi suddenly become heavier as he slipped into sleep, and Iruka turned enough that he wasn’t being squashed.  He sighed, content at last, and closed his eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iruka felt a shadow drop over him and he cracked an eye open, noticing that the sun was up and apparently they’d both slept right through the night.  The first thing he saw over the pale expanse of Kakashi’s shoulder was a massive dog; Bull.  “Um, Bull, what are you doing here?” Iruka mumbled.

Bull gave Iruka a nonchalant stare and sat down.  “Kurohyou.  Kakashi summoned us yesterday, to keep an eye out.”

_Of course he would_ , Iruka thought.  The ninken were useful for perimeter watch, especially if Kakashi was er... busy.  “Is something wrong?” Iruka asked after a moment, starting to feel a bit like a bug on display.

Bull shrugged.  “There’s a large pack of brats in the forest.”

_Okay_.  Iruka wasn’t sure how this affected him personally.  He moved Kakashi to the side and sat up.  Kakashi made a mumbling sound and opened his eyes, waving half-heartedly in Bull’s direction.  “These brats are…. ?” Iruka began.

“From the Academy.  They are headed this way.”

“Shit!”  Iruka shoved Kakashi off the rest of the way and scrambled to his feet, searching for his pants.  “Kakashi, get up!”

“Why?”  Kakashi rolled onto his back, completely unconcerned with the fact he was butt-naked.

“There are Academy students headed our way.  Didn’t you hear Bull?”  Iruka was now trying to wriggle into his pants, pulling them up and trying to collect most of the rest of his gear which was scattered around the clearing.  He found Kakashi’s pants and threw them at him.

“I’m pretty sure I’m not the one who should be concerned,” Kakashi drawled, peeling the pants Iruka had thrown off of his face.  “You’re their teacher, not me.  I’m not the one who’s going to have to answer awkward questions at parent-teacher night.”

Iruka paused, hands on hips.  “Hatake, if you ever want to have sex again, you will get your ass up and you will help me gather our gear, and we will get the hell out of here, NOW.”

“Right,” Kakashi sprang to his feet remarkably quickly, “why didn’t you say so?”

“Argh,” Iruka ground out.  “I am going to hurt you.”

Kakashi gathered an armload of gear and waited for Iruka to locate his shirt.  “Ready when you are, dear,” he said with a sunny smile.  “Your place or mine?”

“I have no idea where you live,” Iruka muttered, suddenly embarrassed.  “My place, then.”

Kakashi’s smile faded and he looked serious.  “I’m more than happy to show you mine, Iruka.”  He plastered a smile back on his face, turning devious.  “But your bed is bigger.”

Iruka opened his mouth to say something and then paused.  “Wait, how do you know how big my bed is?”

“Incoming brats at eleven o’clock,” Bull interjected nonchalantly, and puffed out in a ball of smoke.

“How do you know how big my bed is?” Iruka repeated.  _Oh gods_ , he thought.  _The night of the Autumn Festival._ He suddenly remembered the shadow in the tree outside his window, and his suspicions were confirmed when Kakashi grinned rakishly and raised an eyebrow.

“That was quite a show,” Kakashi said with a leer.

Iruka reached into his pants pocket and threw a kunai in Kakashi’s general direction.  Kakashi skipped to the side, laughing.  That laugh made Iruka pause in surprise; it was a sound filled with joy, and mischief – a sound Iruka thought he’d never hear _Hatake Kakashi,_ of all people, make.

“Oh, your ass is _mine_ , Hatake,” he warned.  “You don’t get off that easily.”

“Catch me if you can,” Kakashi said, and bounded off into the trees. 

Iruka shrugged, then smiled deviously.  Kakashi may be a jounin, ex-ANBU, but he was a _hunter-nin_. 

_This shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours,_ he thought with a shrug.  He formed seals and vanished, leaving behind a couple of leaves drifting idly in the breeze.

 

 


End file.
